tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8563110724482972442017-08-17T17:53:55.821-05:00Garden Musings from Memphis Area Master GardenersA compendium of thoughts, tips, recommendations, and
general garden miscellanySuzanne Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15303254428161539477noreply@blogger.comBlogger490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-66528155679925278382017-08-16T22:08:00.000-05:002017-08-16T22:08:11.315-05:00Glorious Caladium<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m not sure there is any plant dependent on foliage for beauty that can surpass the self-dramatization of caladium in the garden throughout the growing season.&nbsp; In a previous garden, I paired </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qns3PHaTQjc/WZRTK3Z0zJI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Xmp857B4_CMRd_bifRCTI5jVgAjB1R-SACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1596%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1021" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qns3PHaTQjc/WZRTK3Z0zJI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/Xmp857B4_CMRd_bifRCTI5jVgAjB1R-SACLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1596%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Caladium</i>having green-veined white leaves with dusty miller (<i>Jacobaea maritima</i>) and variegated monkey grass (<i>Liriope muscari </i>’Variegata<i>’</i>) against a backdrop of variegated privet (<i>Ligustrum sinense</i>‘Variegata’).&nbsp; I loved the green and white palette and the vertical design, and the caladiums always seemed to leap forth with a joyful nodding to greet me.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bxdZlk1KNuM/WZStu5FOtiI/AAAAAAAAAXA/8OLz6qtVcW0luRJg_lf3kR2XUZ02K--OgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bxdZlk1KNuM/WZStu5FOtiI/AAAAAAAAAXA/8OLz6qtVcW0luRJg_lf3kR2XUZ02K--OgCLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1600.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Caladiums are grown as ornamental plants in large “fancy-leaved” and “lance-leaved” or "strap leaf" forms.&nbsp; The more common of these is the “fancy-leaved” form with its heart-shaped white, pink, or red leaves, whose veins in contrasting colors add to the beauty of the leaves.&nbsp; Common names for <i>Caladium</i> are elephant ear, Heart of Jesus and Angel Wings. &nbsp;The epithet “elephant ear” is more likely associated with<i>Alocasia</i> or <i>Colocasia</i>, whose leaves are much larger and thus more emblematic of the name. &nbsp;The true elephant ears (<i>Colocasia</i>) have wintered over in my garden during mild winters, but not my caladiums.&nbsp; They are a tropical South American plant, zone ten&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caladium">(note details of caladium cultivation)</a>.&nbsp; In zone 7, the tubers should be lifted before frost, cleaned of soil, and stored in a cool location.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jf_b3AaH46g/WZShNI_oC8I/AAAAAAAAAVw/zsq_m3GgxoAkwTeEtVEKUiSmIO8g3bbqgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jf_b3AaH46g/WZShNI_oC8I/AAAAAAAAAVw/zsq_m3GgxoAkwTeEtVEKUiSmIO8g3bbqgCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN1634.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">My favorite formal display of caladiums this year is in the bed leading to the Hughes Pavillion at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. There, one finds a thickly planted circle of a variety that is new to me: 'Frog in a Blender.' I bought tubers of this variety at the Dixon Garden Fair early this year and planted them in pots. When these beauties popped up and started unfurling, they didn't stop until they were more than three feet tall! Had Dale Skaggs' garden workers mislabeled <i>Colocasia</i> as <i>Caladium</i>? &nbsp;Not so. &nbsp;This new variety is not only as tall as some <i>Colocasia</i>, but produces many beautifully variegated leaves for a&nbsp;</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div></div><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J3SiDZvjCcY/WZRUXmkyWRI/AAAAAAAAAVY/KWOw4kZ9E5U_dmta57SgPlASjMKnrI9tgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J3SiDZvjCcY/WZRUXmkyWRI/AAAAAAAAAVY/KWOw4kZ9E5U_dmta57SgPlASjMKnrI9tgCLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1603.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">striking display. &nbsp;While I have trouble imagining real frogs in a blender, I can see that the name refers to the combination of lime-green splotches against a dark green background.&nbsp; That touch of red in the center of each leaf is hardly visible here and certainly not dramatic like the red veins in "Fantasy" at the bottom of the picture. &nbsp;I prefer to think of the red as the frog’s eye.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IbOvydeyZgA/WZSh103sx7I/AAAAAAAAAV4/FaR0tpkjF6Qa6Y_h8__vt0js24DES8_uACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IbOvydeyZgA/WZSh103sx7I/AAAAAAAAAV4/FaR0tpkjF6Qa6Y_h8__vt0js24DES8_uACLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1628.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">How does one add the “Wow! Factor” to shaded gardens?&nbsp; At the Memphis Botanic Garden, caladiums are an obvious choice to brighten shady nooks.&nbsp; Along the pathway to the herb garden, for example, a patch of white caladiums with green veins sparkles in the shady area near the dry creek bed, and just &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ghM-G6QkQs/WZSiN7PJAfI/AAAAAAAAAV8/j8HVFsKnrEw4R1Q-16YNsYpV0lXMS-qyACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ghM-G6QkQs/WZSiN7PJAfI/AAAAAAAAAV8/j8HVFsKnrEw4R1Q-16YNsYpV0lXMS-qyACLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1630.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">over the bridge at the entrance to this garden, the smaller lance-leaved (or strap leaf)&nbsp;<i>Caladium </i>'Desert Sunrise'<i> </i>seems to pop out of the dark shade beneath <i>Colocasia</i> 'Mojito' to welcome visitors. &nbsp;"Desert Sunrise' is doing well in the shade here, but the strap leaf variety can tolerate more sun than the fancy-leaved variety. Near the entrance to the garden, beside the rectangular fountain, <i>Caladium</i> 'White Wonder' thrives with <i>Croton variegatum</i> and other sun-loving plants. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CUu0B6_8eFo/WZSmRf72hII/AAAAAAAAAWg/7_6LGkxY8NQsNxnc2Rc4NQv8LGUt9AqFQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1626.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CUu0B6_8eFo/WZSmRf72hII/AAAAAAAAAWg/7_6LGkxY8NQsNxnc2Rc4NQv8LGUt9AqFQCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN1626.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dkkMaHL5bI/WZSj9adxjpI/AAAAAAAAAWM/anA0r89y3iQH28AzScDCTS88IJk2xIJ3ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dkkMaHL5bI/WZSj9adxjpI/AAAAAAAAAWM/anA0r89y3iQH28AzScDCTS88IJk2xIJ3ACLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1537.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Caladiums brighten porches all over Midtown and will continue to do so until temperatures drop.&nbsp; A fernery plant stand on my porch presents a mixture of ‘Frog in a Blender,’ ‘Fantasy,’ and ‘Candidum, Jr.’ all from the Dixon sale.&nbsp; Rectangular concrete pots with red and pink caladiums invite visitors to neighboring porches.&nbsp; Caladiums are also planted in some flowerbeds. &nbsp;Patience is key to successful inground planting. &nbsp;The gardener must wait until the ground warms; otherwise, the tubers may rot in the rains that come in early spring. &nbsp;Also, the tubers take three to four weeks to emerge after the ground warms to about 70 degrees.&nbsp; I learned both of these lessons the hard way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Caladiums will bloom only if conditions are right.&nbsp; One of my plants did bloom this summer, although the bloom (which looked like a stunted Calla lily bloom) was less spectacular than the foliage and lasted less than a week.&nbsp; But who needs blossoms when the glorious foliage of caladiums lasts an entire season?</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UIw0z1Abo6k/WZSwGvlGopI/AAAAAAAAAXM/VrRNoTFv0GIkst0C8vyxXj7gqM0JPaOtwCLcBGAs/s1600/caladium%2B%2527fantasy%2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UIw0z1Abo6k/WZSwGvlGopI/AAAAAAAAAXM/VrRNoTFv0GIkst0C8vyxXj7gqM0JPaOtwCLcBGAs/s320/caladium%2B%2527fantasy%2527.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><o:p></o:p></div>Kathy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141904624172495804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-43667127657514544232017-08-02T09:49:00.000-05:002017-08-02T09:49:09.416-05:00What's going well in your garden?<div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's been said that our gardens are always the most beautiful in January because in that frigid, non-verdant month it is all in our heads: the seeds we plan to start early, the trimming we plan to do to get in a little more sun, the arm loads of harvest from our vegetable gardens, the woodland path we think of putting in and that all important focal point at its end. It will all be splendid! Weeds grow not in my dreams, and cucumber beetles are non existent. And if these problems arise THIS YEAR I know just the thing to eliminate them. I have my watering system all planned out and, of course, it all comes into color at the same ytime so that in my MIND, the hydrangeas of early summer contrast beautifully with the scarlet runner beans of late summer. The dreams of January!&nbsp;</span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 19px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But it is now the hot middle of summer and reality has set in for us all. So I ask, "What is going well in your garden?"&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In my garden there are three C's that are bringing me joy; three C's that actually exceeded my expectations.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The first is COLEUS. The seeds I planted back in February thrived under the grow light in my garage and I had enough to share with a friend.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><br />These bursts of color in the cool shade are most rewarding.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uSuWC_S90U0/WXKhtcQ38ZI/AAAAAAAAL6Q/2he3vGtwgGE-BGY-zwmdcuDw8VO1l7tnACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uSuWC_S90U0/WXKhtcQ38ZI/AAAAAAAAL6Q/2he3vGtwgGE-BGY-zwmdcuDw8VO1l7tnACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1736.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second C stands for CUCUMBERS. For two years now I have ordered from Park Seed the seeds of a most deliciously sweet cucumber called Diva. &nbsp;And while They are a slender 6 to 8 inches when picked, they produce abundantly. There is a family debate about whether or not to dress them with Apple Cider Vinegar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UyHyT-Be2o4/WXKh3tAl6LI/AAAAAAAAL6U/gG0d-23Dh8MeNWUL0qgDBVvgvruxxnDaQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UyHyT-Be2o4/WXKh3tAl6LI/AAAAAAAAL6U/gG0d-23Dh8MeNWUL0qgDBVvgvruxxnDaQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1727.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The C that brings me the most joy, however is the CHAPEL GARDEN. Blessed with two family weddings this fall I dedicated one raised bed to a chapel-looking bird house I found on the street...one man's discard... A rock path, some zinnias, marigolds and volunteer sunflowers complimented the rosemary and thyme that were already in place. It takes a bit of pruning to make sure the little chapel does not get lost in the foliage; maybe I should have cut back the zinnias before their first bloom. But they are reasonably cooperative and resemble exotic trees surrounding the chapel path.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLBlhvbS8jc/WXKiFzR0u6I/AAAAAAAAL6g/-kUK_hNI9uszz6dB0WPA1rajMs-_S1MywCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLBlhvbS8jc/WXKiFzR0u6I/AAAAAAAAL6g/-kUK_hNI9uszz6dB0WPA1rajMs-_S1MywCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1734.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There are plenty of disappointments in my garden this year; that is part of it, right? So I'll choose today to ask myself, "What is going well in my garden?"&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What is going well in yours?</span></div>Mamagardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12878511219960702248noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-73624262156316262662017-07-30T07:12:00.000-05:002017-07-30T07:12:01.129-05:00The Year of the Mimosa Weed<span style="font-size: large;">Although weeds plague our lawn and garden every year, it seems that each year a particular weed takes center stage. One year it was wild violets. The next year it was purslane. A few years ago, we had elm seedlings sprouting everywhere. This year the villain in our yard is a plant we call mimosa weed (<i>Phyllanthus</i> <i>urinaria</i>) because its foliage looks similar to the familiar mimosa tree.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nQdJ4eNYGls/WXUZwVW4GDI/AAAAAAAAL-A/rQyh_mVjU1IypI35Ywd_KUx6oS_x9ponwCLcBGAs/s1600/20170722_075226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1395" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nQdJ4eNYGls/WXUZwVW4GDI/AAAAAAAAL-A/rQyh_mVjU1IypI35Ywd_KUx6oS_x9ponwCLcBGAs/s400/20170722_075226.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This is a nasty fellow. It invades lawns and flower beds indiscriminately and it is sneaky. It germinates later than most weeds, so late that our spring application of pre-emergent herbicide was not effective to prevent it in our lawn. It also develops seeds as a very small plant and they hide on the undersides of the leaves. So while you are thinking you have time to weed before that critical reseeding time, it is already developing seeds. It has a strong stem and large taproot, so it is not so easy to pull up. Roundup is effective on it but I try to avoid using Roundup when I can, both because it can cause damage to nearby plants and because I'm not convinced that it is not a dangerous chemical (even though there is no scientific evidence to support this idea).</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Jack and I have put in a lot of hours pulling up mimosa weed this summer, and I'm determined to get ahead of it next year. Our main problem spots this year were a bed that was not well-mulched and areas of the lawn where the grass was thin. We've been working to get the lawn in better shape this summer because dense, healthy turf is the best deterrent for all weeds in the lawn. Also, next year, we may change our pre-emergent for the lawn to one that is more effective in controlling this particular weed.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">If your garden has been plagued by this particular weed, you might find this <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/weeds/hgic2314.html">factsheet</a>&nbsp;useful for more suggestions about how to control it, including a complete discussion of the various chemical controls available.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Wonder which weed I'll be complaining about next year . . . .&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-66048838634773798382017-07-01T09:00:00.000-05:002017-07-01T22:16:57.518-05:00Repotting my Orchid<span style="font-size: large;">Several weeks ago I wrote about how my mother's orchid was nearing the end of its bloom and I was considering whether I should repot it. The first bloom spike had already turned brown and was ready to be cut off, but it appeared that new buds might be developing on the second bloom shoot. &nbsp;I was undecided about whether I should allow the last few blooms to develop or cut the shoot back to allow the plant to regain its strength. As it turned out, the second shoot simply lacked the energy to continue, and it, too, turned brown. In the end, there was no decision to be made. I cut off both bloom spikes as close to the plant stem as possible and proceeded with the repotting.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K_HbXwmpdyw/WUXLtXho6MI/AAAAAAAALO0/uzl8rVZNjmI9rnl8uNbZNfW0KkvDAPVJgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170612_111731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K_HbXwmpdyw/WUXLtXho6MI/AAAAAAAALO0/uzl8rVZNjmI9rnl8uNbZNfW0KkvDAPVJgCLcBGAs/s400/20170612_111731.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">When I bought this orchid, it was potted in this clear plastic pot, which was then placed in a decorative outer ceramic container. I always removed the clear container to water the plant and allowed the water to drain out before returning it to the ceramic container. As I mentioned in my previous post, most orchids that don't survive suffer from overwatering. With most houseplants, it's easy to stick your finger in the soil to determine if water is needed but that's not so easy with a bark planting media. I like these lightweight plastic containers because after you've watered a few times, it's easy to judge whether the plant needs water by the weight of the container. Fully moistened bark makes for a lot heavier container than one that has dried out. The other good thing about this type of container is that it allows you to inspect the roots from time to time. Mushy roots are another sign of overwatering.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--n9Wl7J4DYk/WUXL3wSAuWI/AAAAAAAALO4/fV-nPHxoaAIvGNr6MvDpRMRkPhVVxIoCgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170612_111904_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--n9Wl7J4DYk/WUXL3wSAuWI/AAAAAAAALO4/fV-nPHxoaAIvGNr6MvDpRMRkPhVVxIoCgCLcBGAs/s400/20170612_111904_001.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">When I slipped the roots out of the pot, I was pleased to see that the roots, for the most part, looked healthy. I gently teased the bark away from the roots, being careful not to break the roots, which can be quite fragile. Any roots that looked completely dead, I cut off. Be careful with this process because some roots appear to be dead at the top but have a healthy lower part. Notice the white root that begins on the right side of plant and curves down toward the left side. It looks dead near the top of the plant and is split and lifeless looking &nbsp;as you trace it downward. But the section below the split is very healthy. So be sure to inspect the full length of a root before deciding it is dead. Sometimes, just the tip will be alive.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KWew9_pb7uU/WUxUxGDloUI/AAAAAAAALZE/5J-r8_4N2V4MiEcI4iztav10MmjIrsuCACLcBGAs/s1600/20170612_112551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KWew9_pb7uU/WUxUxGDloUI/AAAAAAAALZE/5J-r8_4N2V4MiEcI4iztav10MmjIrsuCACLcBGAs/s400/20170612_112551.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Here's what the plant looked like after I removed the remaining potting media and trimmed roots that I was sure were totally dead. The roots on the outside of the plant were the healthiest. They were plump and green or white. There were fewer roots toward the center of the plant and they did not look as healthy. They did not seem totally dead, but they were tan and not as plump as the outer roots.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The picture below helps explain the reason why these interior roots were on their way to rotting. It shows the potting media that came out of the plastic pot after I dislodged the media from the roots. It's hard to believe that all this came out of that small pot. The smaller pile on the left is the bark, and the larger pile on the right is spaghnum moss. Because all I could see in the pot was bark, I assumed, incorrectly, that the planting media was totally bark. But it turned out that the bark was on the top and sides, and the center of the plant was tightly packed moss, which tends to stay moist for a very long time. I think this explains the less healthy interior roots, which had too much moisture and not enough oxygen.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wvOYOOGECW0/WUxXitH_V0I/AAAAAAAALZY/W_vqV5JzifgnDMYj93n7NX8Lyi8szM1PwCLcBGAs/s1600/20170612_112501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wvOYOOGECW0/WUxXitH_V0I/AAAAAAAALZY/W_vqV5JzifgnDMYj93n7NX8Lyi8szM1PwCLcBGAs/s400/20170612_112501.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I checked with the American Orchid Society (AOS) website before deciding which planting media to use for repotting. The AOS site said:</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>A fresh, fast-draining, but water-retentive medium is essential to the healthy root system necessary for good growth. Whether a bark-based mix (which drains well, is forgiving of watering errors but breaks down rather quickly), a peat-based mix (which retains moisture well but requires more careful watering and frequent re-potting) or some inorganic, basically hydroponic method, orchids have been grown successfully in a variety of media.</i></span><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;roboto&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pfqZbkPMHaU/WUXMHPdB7zI/AAAAAAAALO8/97szYCFBVak0iLk87Z2eQlOWTJaz2YTWgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170612_113107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pfqZbkPMHaU/WUXMHPdB7zI/AAAAAAAALO8/97szYCFBVak0iLk87Z2eQlOWTJaz2YTWgCLcBGAs/s320/20170612_113107.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">When I went to shop for potting media at my local store, my choices were reduced to bark and moss, and I choose bark. Given that the interior roots seemed to need more air and less water, I repotted using bark totally, rather than a combination of bark and moss. &nbsp;Making this change will mean that I will have to be careful not to underwater. The bark/moss mix in the original pot was a little more forgiving of somewhat infrequent watering.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zAuaDAGWQTM/WU0MWgvdu9I/AAAAAAAALaM/-sOoCunYvDkLvcQ2HXkAui-BKzwed2G2QCLcBGAs/s1600/orchidpot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zAuaDAGWQTM/WU0MWgvdu9I/AAAAAAAALaM/-sOoCunYvDkLvcQ2HXkAui-BKzwed2G2QCLcBGAs/s320/orchidpot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I also repotted directly in a pot made especially for orchids, one that has holes in the sides of the pot to improve air circulation. Since this type of orchid grows in nature by attaching itself to the bark of trees, this seemed to me to be the best I could do to mimic natural growing conditions. The challenge for me will be to develop a watering schedule that works. Since this ceramic pot is heavy, it is harder to gauge the added weight of the moist potting media.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">After getting the plant repotted, I mixed up a liquid fertilizer that I had on hand at half-strength and watered/fertilized the plant well. I have to admit that I have never fertilized this plant so orchids must be pretty forgiving with fertilization, too. Many sites recommend fertilizing "weakly, weekly" or at full strength once a month. I intend to use the weekly schedule through the summer and fall while the plant is renewing its energy for its next bloom cycle, which, hopefully, will begin late fall or early winter.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Phalaenopsis orchids are widely available and well worth the cost. The next time they catch your eye in the grocery or big box store, you might want to give them a try. Look for one that has a lot of buds (as oppose to fully open blooms) on the bloom stalk and fat, healthy-looking roots. It will give you weeks, perhaps months, of enjoyment from the current bloom. Use this&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aos.org/orchids/culture-sheets/novice-phalaenopsis.aspx">AOS guide</a>&nbsp;as a reminder of how to care for it. The first time you get a re-bloom, you'll be hooked!</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-35770604750571986682017-06-23T11:01:00.000-05:002017-06-23T11:01:28.873-05:00R&R David Austin English RosesOut of their catalog I bought three rose bushes from David Austin English Roses this year. This was my second purchase from them and I have been really pleased with the performance of both roses.&nbsp; English Roses are relatively new group roses coming to prominence in the 1970's. They originated from crosses made between certain Old Roses and Modern Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. The roses combine the fragrance of Old Roses (something my wife and I enjoy) with the color range and repeat-flowering of a Modern Roses. <br />English Roses come in a wide variety of types. There are roses for small gardens, highly fragrant roses, roses for hedges, climbers and ramblers. The English Roses have&nbsp;proven to be&nbsp;resistance to disease which is important considering the way rose rosette virus has attacked the Knockout varieties. The catalog is over 100 pages and offers about 200 varieties. The David Austin English Roses run 25 to 30 dollars each plus shipping and handling. There is a discount for purchasing three of the same rose.<br />The roses come as bare root plants, so it&nbsp;is important to soak them in a bucket of water for 12 hours in order to rehydrate them. English Roses are heavy feeders and require fertilizing about every thirty days. The roses also require regular watering which so far this year has not been much of a problem. So far this year,&nbsp; I have had to put the sprinklers out just once. Of course this could, and probably will, change as we get into July, August and September.﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-POfhA-w-Evw/WU0rPtmF-CI/AAAAAAAAACI/1I1__DlsLtY8YtVLwgjnA1lqtrzaEs7ngCLcBGAs/s1600/Young%2BLycidas.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="224" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-POfhA-w-Evw/WU0rPtmF-CI/AAAAAAAAACI/1I1__DlsLtY8YtVLwgjnA1lqtrzaEs7ngCLcBGAs/s200/Young%2BLycidas.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young Lycidas</td></tr></tbody></table><br />My first purchase, three years ago,&nbsp; was an Old Rose Hybrid Young Lycidas. The rose is very deep magenta with purple mixed in. Young Lycidas won Best Shrub in Portland's Best Rose Contest in 2013 and was awarded the top prize for at the Cocur Internaticional de Roses, Barcelona.&nbsp;So it's&nbsp;highly fragrant and it's named after my favorite poem Lycidas by John Milton. Unfortunately, it's too long to put in this blog, but I highly recommend reading it.&nbsp;I planted this by my deck in the backyard and it gets afternoon sun from 1PM to 5PM so it's performed reasonably well without full sun. It runs about 4 x 3 feet and has about 90 petals.<br />﻿﻿﻿<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; The Poet's Wife was this year's purchase.&nbsp;The rose is light yellow&nbsp; color with a great fragrance. It's produced flowers in abundance since May after planting it at the end of March. Supposedly, the fragrance gets stronger as it ages, we'll see. It's planted in my full sun bed in the front yard along with some lily bulbs I purchased from White Flower farms. I may have messed up by putting the bulbs in front of the roses, of course, the roses haven't yet reached their full size of 4 x 3.5 feet. The Poet's Wife's was introduced in 2015 so it hasn't had the opportunity to win any awards but I like it. It's yellow and I really love yellow flowers. It has about 77 petals.<br />﻿<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UQNNBB72AO0/WU0u6xl6qBI/AAAAAAAAACU/U2xtwdxRR0ofAkh9ojPUBvh7iPKEX7CuACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BPoet%2527s%2BWife.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UQNNBB72AO0/WU0u6xl6qBI/AAAAAAAAACU/U2xtwdxRR0ofAkh9ojPUBvh7iPKEX7CuACLcBGAs/s200/The%2BPoet%2527s%2BWife.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Poet's Wife</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Below is a poem by George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Anne Evans. Her novel Middlemarch is&nbsp;12th on the New York Times&nbsp;greatest&nbsp;novels of all time.&nbsp;It's really great. <br /><div align="left" style="padding-left: 14px; padding-top: 13px;"><span style="color: #3c605b; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Roses <span style="color: black;">by George Eliot</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; padding-left: 14px; padding-top: 20px;"> You love the roses - so do I. I wish<br />The sky would rain down roses, as they rain<br />From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?<br />Then all the valley would be pink and white<br />And soft to tread on. They would fall as light<br />As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be<br />Like sleeping and like waking, all at once! </div><div style="padding-left: 14px; padding-top: 20px;"><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --> <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style "><a class="addthis_button_facebook at300b" href="http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/george_eliot/poems/3453#" title="Facebook"><span class="at-icon-wrapper" style="background-color: #3b5998; height: 16px; line-height: 16px; width: 16px;"><svg alt="Facebook" class="at-icon at-icon-facebook" ns1:xmlns:ns1="" ns2:ns1:xmlns:ns1="" ns3:xmlns:ns2="" ns4:ns4:ns1:ns1:xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ns5:xmlns:ns4="" ns6:ns3:xmlns:ns2="" ns7:xmlns:ns3="" ns8:ns2:ns2:xmlns:ns1="" style="height: 16px; width: 16px;" title="Facebook" viewbox="0 0 32 32" xmlns:ns1="" xmlns:ns2="" xmlns:ns3="" xmlns:ns4="" xmlns:ns5="" xmlns:ns6="" xmlns:ns7="" xmlns:ns8="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M 22 5.16 c -0.406 -0.054 -1.806 -0.16 -3.43 -0.16 c -3.4 0 -5.733 1.825 -5.733 5.17 v 2.882 H 9 v 3.913 h 3.837 V 27 h 4.604 V 16.965 h 3.823 l 0.587 -3.913 h -4.41 v -2.5 c 0 -1.123 0.347 -1.903 2.198 -1.903 H 22 V 5.16 Z" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></g></svg></span></a> <a class="addthis_button_twitter at300b" href="http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/george_eliot/poems/3453#" title="Twitter"></a></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />﻿﻿<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>David M Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07103377370091833510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-87129233590500745482017-06-14T15:18:00.000-05:002017-06-14T15:18:13.905-05:00A New Garden Room?<span style="font-size: large;">The idea of a garden divided into rooms is credited to the British garden designer Lawrence Johnson. &nbsp;Gertrude Jekyll, the most influential garden designer of the early 20th century, popularized the concept in almost 400 gardens throughout England and the United States. &nbsp;Jekyll believed that no garden could be beautiful in every season and therefore promoted the idea that gardens should be divided&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">into "rooms" or separate enclosed spaces, decorated as</span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C8t4wA9m6IM/WT7t22k8GJI/AAAAAAAAASQ/Npe6qwc37uMXelUNFU042HofQ9QMCnm0wCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C8t4wA9m6IM/WT7t22k8GJI/AAAAAAAAASQ/Npe6qwc37uMXelUNFU042HofQ9QMCnm0wCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN1108.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a back fence garden room</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">differently as the rooms in a house, so that there would always be a beautiful room to visit. &nbsp;Box hedges, trees and shrubs, herbaceous borders or stone could provide "walls" enclosing these rooms, and different plants, colors, and themes could individualize them for visitors who moved from one room to another.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Garden lovers witnessed that the concept is alive and well in Memphis as they wandered through the garden rooms of Jane Carter (one featuring a purple bedstead and matching flowers), Anne Riordan (yes, a garden room for golf), or another of the tour hosts for the MAMG Through Our Garden Gates Tour in early June. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This penchant for garden rooms got me to thinking. &nbsp;We live in a time when people's possessions overflow into attics or basements or garages or even PODS. &nbsp;In dogwalking throughout my Midtown </span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFTcfrDDlC4/WT7uN79iBLI/AAAAAAAAASU/bZAj4z3MElU9lw7OjOHIKD_lXugJiRKkQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFTcfrDDlC4/WT7uN79iBLI/AAAAAAAAASU/bZAj4z3MElU9lw7OjOHIKD_lXugJiRKkQCLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a more cared for look than most alleys</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">neighborhood, I have observed that sometimes horticultural activities escape the normal boundaries of front, side, and back yard, even into that area behind the back fence. &nbsp;I'm wondering if the alley could be our new "garden room"?</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Now, I admit that alleyways aren't actually "enclosed," and even more to the point, most are anything but garden spots. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xw965addE4c/WT8F6wjz9EI/AAAAAAAAASw/Smb3peKRX3Mn6gXrusVDuN-M1X7cKHkbQCLcB/s1600/DSCN1530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xw965addE4c/WT8F6wjz9EI/AAAAAAAAASw/Smb3peKRX3Mn6gXrusVDuN-M1X7cKHkbQCLcB/s320/DSCN1530.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a typical overgrown alley</td></tr></tbody></table>Every kind of Memphis vine, weed, grass, scrub brush or stunted tree can be found there. Trumpet vine, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy flourish on the fences. Johnson grass reaches its peak heights. Frequently, rubbish accumulates and is covered by the brush.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">There are exceptions, however, to the typical alley, as the first two pictures above illustrate. One of my favorite alley gardens runs between Forrest and Galloway just west of the Memphis zoo. &nbsp;Here, there are no</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;weeds. &nbsp;Flowers bloom in most seasons. &nbsp;This narrow alley garden is planted and cared for perhaps because it is adjacent to a garage and the main entrance to the property, but I wouldn't bet that was the major reason. &nbsp;Its attractiveness seems to be an outgrowth of the owner's love of plants.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pUnKre1tz0k/WT7vMdpuG5I/AAAAAAAAASY/8YE5Vd-zNpESPYwvGdm16IQrW37SOkE_ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pUnKre1tz0k/WT7vMdpuG5I/AAAAAAAAASY/8YE5Vd-zNpESPYwvGdm16IQrW37SOkE_ACLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1104.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking east to McLean</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHHrCkDJZpM/WT7vqJJMVRI/AAAAAAAAASc/Tat4w4_1Mvw76dBHNBKuGsPNfflcInPUQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aHHrCkDJZpM/WT7vqJJMVRI/AAAAAAAAASc/Tat4w4_1Mvw76dBHNBKuGsPNfflcInPUQCLcBGAs/s320/DSCN1103.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking west</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sI6ZWEDUg7k/WT8HJ1u_LBI/AAAAAAAAAS4/LbFfxaTZghAJY0eSojX3MAqEz-dzmUKygCLcB/s1600/DSCN1524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sI6ZWEDUg7k/WT8HJ1u_LBI/AAAAAAAAAS4/LbFfxaTZghAJY0eSojX3MAqEz-dzmUKygCLcB/s400/DSCN1524.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">functional and attractive</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">I also enjoy several alleys where hydrangeas flourish. &nbsp;I'm not sure these alleys would qualify for the Mid-South Hydrangea Tour, which took place this past Sunday, but they certainly brighten up a dogwalk. The first picture shows a garbage can tucked in among attractive foliage, and also sports some nice signage. The hydrangea scene below backs up to a wrought iron fence that adds to the attractiveness of this alley. &nbsp;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZjzPBIiStI/WT8HCXUrMLI/AAAAAAAAAS0/Fwj1Wcqz-AEiIY8wj9U91xBoVonjt0w6QCLcB/s1600/DSCN1520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZjzPBIiStI/WT8HCXUrMLI/AAAAAAAAAS0/Fwj1Wcqz-AEiIY8wj9U91xBoVonjt0w6QCLcB/s640/DSCN1520.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SjfLdXFzhvw/WT8PPvmehUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/T_GPtzC2Gj4cOTJNxLyOdZ_6b9-iRYMNQCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SjfLdXFzhvw/WT8PPvmehUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/T_GPtzC2Gj4cOTJNxLyOdZ_6b9-iRYMNQCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN1477.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">A few years ago, I started trying to keep my alley neat, or at least free of noxious and annoying weeds and debris. &nbsp;One thing led to another. &nbsp;I began to transplant extra stuff from my yard--Dutch iris, daffodils, and canna--between the monkeygrass, periwinkle and Virginia creeper that grew there uninvited. A holly showed up (I didn't plant it). A friend gave me some orange daylilies (ditch lilies) and they went to the alley. Replacing the old fence with a new one was an incentive to consider new plants, and last year I added several hostas. </span><span style="font-size: large;">One of the hostas (a Lowe's purchase) turned</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;out to love the alley. So I imagined a new life for the mophead hydrangeas languishing in the afternoon sun by my front porch, and transplanted them to the alley.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know whether the alley garden should be labelled a room rather than simply a border. &nbsp;I have observed only a few that can accommodate a bench. &nbsp;Maybe what I am calling the new alley room is simply a less exalted type of the French <i>allee</i>, the formal pathway between similar trees or shrubs inviting one to a distant feature. Yet, whatever the name, alley gardens offer a casual passerby what all of us strive for in our usual gardens: a pleasant design of color and texture, a sense of calm and peace, and an invitation to pause in our busy lives. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I know that I will keep adding to my alley plant collection--new daffodil bulbs this fall and whatever else is in abundance. &nbsp;I expect that I will be "decorating" my alley garden room for some time to come! Oh Gertrude Jekyll, what would you think of this?</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>Kathy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141904624172495804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-33975949460454456222017-06-03T07:58:00.000-05:002017-06-03T07:58:07.295-05:00My Mother's Orchid: To Re-pot or Not<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xJWrJUef8Y/WS6-7F2UjsI/AAAAAAAAK3w/9aMgBecZuaAMU9i0D1hy4f6gjOGGtF1rACLcB/s1600/mamaorchid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xJWrJUef8Y/WS6-7F2UjsI/AAAAAAAAK3w/9aMgBecZuaAMU9i0D1hy4f6gjOGGtF1rACLcB/s320/mamaorchid.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">In February, I wrote about how the orchid I bought for my mother for Mother's Day last year had started to re-bloom. &nbsp;This orchid is special to me because it was the last Mother's Day gift I'll ever be able to give to my mother, who died in October 2016. After last summer's blooms faded, I trimmed the bloom spike back to a node, hoping for a re-bloom but nothing happened until winter when buds appeared. By February, a few blooms had begun to open, and this is what it looked like on Mother's Day this year.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">One thing I love about orchids is how long the blooms last. While a bouquet of cut flowers might last 2 weeks if you are lucky, the blooms of an orchid can last for months and months. Then (at least in the case of P<i>halaenopsis </i>type of orchid), you can cut the bloom spike back to a node, and it sometimes produce a secondary (albeit smaller) bloom spike, as this one did. Purchasing an orchid is an inexpensive way to have beautiful flowers around for a very long time. I expect that the blooms on this plant, which began to have blooms in February, will continue to look good for several more weeks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">While I've grown orchids in the past and I know a little about how to care for them, I'm not an orchid expert by any means. I was guessing that the time to re-pot might be immediately following the finish of the bloom period, so I consulted the website of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aos.org/">American Orchid Society</a>&nbsp;and several other places to plan my next steps. Since this orchid is special to me, I'd like to learn how to care for it properly and increase the chances that I'll have it around for as long as possible.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">As I suspected, the best time to re-pot is usually just after the plant has finished flowering. For this species of orchid, that is usually in the summer. However, re-potting is not necessarily needed every year. According to the American Orchid Society, there are two important indications that the plant needs to be re-potted: (1) overcrowded roots inside the pot and large numbers outside the pot or (2) the potting medium has begun to break down.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j3d_LBywkr0/WTGaJNL4FYI/AAAAAAAAK7U/cdy5nP0oR1s-mUJ-Zrxd4-EvxNQMDVbGQCLcB/s1600/20170602_113203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j3d_LBywkr0/WTGaJNL4FYI/AAAAAAAAK7U/cdy5nP0oR1s-mUJ-Zrxd4-EvxNQMDVbGQCLcB/s400/20170602_113203.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This orchid definitely has a few roots coming from the growing media that have escaped the pot and it also has a lot of "air" roots that have emerged from the upper stalk of the plant. Since <i>Phalaenopsis</i> are epiphytes, these air roots are normal, as this kind of orchid in nature would use these roots to attach itself to a tree or rock, where it gets its nutrition from rain and air.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wP6oBorp0G8/WS6-5uI3A9I/AAAAAAAAK4A/crGN3nNjhikqsIf-353h-qt82RX1L3w9QCPcB/s1600/orchidroots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wP6oBorp0G8/WS6-5uI3A9I/AAAAAAAAK4A/crGN3nNjhikqsIf-353h-qt82RX1L3w9QCPcB/s400/orchidroots.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The roots that we are most concerned about being too crowded are the ones inside the pot. We need enough of the roots inside the pot to contact the moisture from the growing media and we don't won't them so crowded that they are not getting enough air. But orchid roots are prone to rot if the pot is too large, so I don't want to increase pot size unnecessarily. Until I remove this orchid from its pot, I'm not sure whether I will need to move it up to a slightly larger pot or simply put in new potting media.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Most orchids are potted in a mixture that is either bark or peat-based. This one is potted in mostly bark, and the mix still looks pretty good so I might be able to wait a bit before I would need to re-pot based on the soil mixture. Again, it is hard to tell until I remove the orchid from its pot and examine it more closely.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">So my plan is to wait until the current blooms finish, and then remove the plant from its pot so that I can inspect the roots. As you can see below, one of the bloom spikes has turned brown and is ready to be cut off. But when I took this picture today, I noticed that the spike that still has blooms on it is showing signs of putting out additional flowers.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1mOGz0FJHos/WTHbPfsrU7I/AAAAAAAAK8Q/ZAQSU0tAxqM2d1NDs6Q7Id_fczrz0yLHQCLcB/s1600/20170602_161403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1mOGz0FJHos/WTHbPfsrU7I/AAAAAAAAK8Q/ZAQSU0tAxqM2d1NDs6Q7Id_fczrz0yLHQCLcB/s400/20170602_161403.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Look for the new growth in these pictures. It appears that bloom spikes might be branching out here:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8zmtG2xEWk/WTHc0Ba3tUI/AAAAAAAAK8U/oWn-wP7XcMUls-AtdMp4UfLIDucHCpcjwCLcB/s1600/20170602_162924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8zmtG2xEWk/WTHc0Ba3tUI/AAAAAAAAK8U/oWn-wP7XcMUls-AtdMp4UfLIDucHCpcjwCLcB/s400/20170602_162924.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">and here:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-woSTVZWdJqs/WTHdhYxUHBI/AAAAAAAAK8k/BSScLYUnPXwfQHVGuhOzw1wUTlm0NC4VwCEw/s1600/20170602_164853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="1600" height="341" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-woSTVZWdJqs/WTHdhYxUHBI/AAAAAAAAK8k/BSScLYUnPXwfQHVGuhOzw1wUTlm0NC4VwCEw/s400/20170602_164853.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">So while I'm waiting for the current blooms to fall, I'll keep my eye on what happens with this new growth. These blooms will not be as showy as the blooms on a new bloom spike that would emerge from the plant if I cut this existing spike completely off. So it looks like I might have a choice to make. I can either continue to enjoy a few blooms on this old bloom spike or I can cut the spike off at the base and let the plant direct all its energy toward a larger display in the early spring. I'll keep you updated on what happens.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Advice/recommendations are welcomed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-16670027955259006722017-05-23T07:54:00.000-05:002017-05-23T08:14:08.970-05:00R&R The Ikea EffectThe end of "Spring Clean Up/Start Up" is almost over. Most flowerbeds have been weeded, newspaper put down and mulch (eight cubic yards so far) applied. Brown metal edging has been placed around five of the beds to prevent the mulch from washing away.&nbsp;Trees have been "limbed up" (there are few things as tiring to me as using a pole trimmer) and hauled to the front of the yard for pick up. More sticks and branches than I can count have been picked&nbsp;as well. (It seems as if&nbsp;I finish this just in time for the next storm to blow down more sticks and branches.)&nbsp;New roses (Rosa)&nbsp;from David Austin and&nbsp;bulbs (Lilium) from White Flower Farms have been received, planted and fed. Daffodils (Narcissus) and Summer Snowflake (Leucojeum) have been cut back and placed in the compost pile. Azaleas (Rhododendrun) have been cut back and other assorted shrubs trimmed and shaped. Crepe Myrtles (Lagerstroemia) have been inspected and treated (sort of, see last month's blog for details) for Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale. This is gardening; this is what all gardeners are doing&nbsp;this Spring&nbsp;and do every Spring. So, is this work or love or both?<br />Social scientists have described a phenomena know as "The Ikea Effect" Ikea, a Swedish retailer, is known for selling items that require "some assembly". What social scientist have discovered is that people place added, inordinate&nbsp;value on items that required some "sweat equity" from the customers. The customers feel that their piece of assembled&nbsp;furniture is on a par with that&nbsp;crafted by a professional. So,&nbsp;to apply "The Ikea Effect" to gardening: is what we do a labor of love or a love that's created by the labor? Do we love at first sight or learn to love? Just something to muse on before heading back to the garden.<br />Here are a couple of poems to think on. One by William Blake and one by Gary R. Ferris<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a 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imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for william blake" border="0" class="rg_ic rg_i" data-sz="f" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="PonjaMbgvb-nvM:" 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" style="height: 160px; margin-top: 0px; width: 112px;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Blake</td></tr></tbody></table><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>The Garden of Love</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I went to the Garden of Love.<br />And saw what I never had seen: <br />A Chapel was built in the midst,<br />Where I used to play on the green.<br /><br />And the gates of the Chapel were shut,<br />And Thou shalt not, writ over the door;<br />So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,<br />That so many sweet flowers bore,<br /><br />And I saw it was filled with graves,<br />And tomb-stones where flowers should be:<br />And priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,<br />And binding with briars, my joys &amp; desires<br /><br /><strong>Why Do We Labor</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Why do we labor and work so hard?<br />Is it for riches that leave us scarred?<br />What makes us&nbsp;rise and begin each day?<br />When for courage and strength is what we pray.<br />We do things we hate so deep.<br />Murmur and complain until we are asleep.<br />What makes&nbsp;us choose the things that we hate?<br />Almost like sorrow has become our fate.<br />Why can't we choose the things that we love?<br />Things that bring joy and come from above.<br />Why do we labor for all that is vain?<br />Somebody tell me. This is insane.<br />Why do we labor for all that is vain?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />David M Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07103377370091833510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-4280114122121695772017-05-11T06:38:00.001-05:002017-05-11T06:38:31.719-05:00First Tomato and New Vegetable Containers<span style="font-size: large;">I think it was very early March when I noticed a tiny tomato plant that had self-sown in a flower bed. I had not planned to have a tomato plant in this flower bed, but I was in no hurry to plant the bed so I did not immediately take it out. This particular bed holds water and I've found that if I plant too early, the plants succumb to root rot. I have been trying for the past few years to add amendments to address this issue. This spring I added a mixture of good bagged garden soil, pine fines (aka soil conditioner), and our own homemade compost.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo2SEMxcmug/WRN9b2AjKCI/AAAAAAAAKuw/-fPTq9hiKXErmDmlcg8GzQ2EEn0o4FMYwCLcB/s1600/20170510_131448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-size: large;">It was a few weeks after I noticed this little tomato plant that we had that cold snap (the temperature was 26 degrees one night at our house), and I fully expected that this little plant would simply turn to mush. But apparently it must have had a strong will to live. Or maybe it lived because it was protected by growing so close to the house. In any case, it came through unscathed, and I plopped an old tomato cage over it while I decided what I wanted to do with it.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-di94zJDIonk/WRN_Kfxa-aI/AAAAAAAAKvE/suRMLQ4ugSQOVa9Mv3ufcVsNEbCVBGE5wCLcB/s1600/20170510_131448%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-di94zJDIonk/WRN_Kfxa-aI/AAAAAAAAKvE/suRMLQ4ugSQOVa9Mv3ufcVsNEbCVBGE5wCLcB/s400/20170510_131448%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" width="268" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Last week I decided it was time to plant summer annuals in this bed. I love annual vinca (also called Madagascar periwinkle), which prefers a sunny, fairly dry location. I debated about removing the tomato plant (which likes more moisture than the vinca), but, by this time, it had gotten quite large. It was too large to transplant to another location and too healthy-looking to yank it out and throw it on the compost pile. So I took the easy way out and postponed the decision once again.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Today, while watering the vinca, I noticed a tiny tomato fruit, and this sealed the deal. Even though I know that trouble awaits me as the tomato plant grows (crowding, watering, etc.), it will remain in my flowerbed.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMns1_y4_18/WROFR3Vse5I/AAAAAAAAKwY/8k023lknhcsyaBU8ZFWcpVCmE-STIyljgCLcB/s1600/20170510_131157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMns1_y4_18/WROFR3Vse5I/AAAAAAAAKwY/8k023lknhcsyaBU8ZFWcpVCmE-STIyljgCLcB/s400/20170510_131157.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Although I can't be sure, I believe that it is a cherry tomato. Last year I had two cherry tomatoes in pots on the patio and I suspect that this is a seed from one of those. It's possible, though, that it could be a Roma or even a full-size tomato, as these seeds were probably in the compost I put in this bed. Whatever it is, I'm hoping for a winning tomato for the <a href="http://www.memphisareamastergardeners.org/events1/document2.pdf">Great Tomato Contest</a>&nbsp;on July 1. I planted tomatoes in my patio pots, but they were planted too late, I think, to produce ripe fruit by then. This may be the only entry I can come up with.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWPNQeCpG00/WRODx8pabeI/AAAAAAAAKwQ/xujXz37DV90vL9mAKp74F2T4wvHXbx-TACEw/s1600/20170510_161415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rWPNQeCpG00/WRODx8pabeI/AAAAAAAAKwQ/xujXz37DV90vL9mAKp74F2T4wvHXbx-TACEw/s400/20170510_161415.jpg" width="257" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of patio tomatoes, I came across these nifty, self-watering vegetable planters on sale. Never able to resist a bargain, I bought two of them for the tomatoes I grow on the patio every year. &nbsp;The planter is on rollers, which makes it easy to re-position the plant when it starts growing toward the sun. The bottom of the container is a water reservoir, and water is added through the tube that can be seen in the left corner of the container in this picture. Maintaining consistent moisture is important to prevent blossom-end rot in tomatoes. Keeping a regular pot consistently moist can be a challenge, especially when the plant gets large and the weather gets hot. I am really excited to see how well these planters work for our tomatoes. I have high hopes they will produce some excellent tomatoes! And did I mention they were on sale?</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-25723734378628835222017-05-05T12:00:00.000-05:002017-05-05T12:00:19.239-05:00The Joys and Trials of Water Features<span style="font-size: large;">Doesn't everyone love water in the garden? When Jack and I moved here from Virginia, one of the things that attracted us to the house we bought was that it had a water feature. I have always admired water features in the garden but had little experience with them. Our townhouse in Virginia had a very small garden area so my options to include water were extremely limited. When I saw that the property we were considering here already had a water feature, I was delighted. But then reality set in . . .</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a picture taken when we first moved in. There were several things that did not appeal to us. For one thing, there was too much stone for our tastes. Black mulch had been used between the stones, but it was not suppressing the weeds so we knew it would take a lot of work to keep the weeds out. Also, neither Jack nor I liked the overgrown look of the plantings. In particular, there was some kind of water plant in the pool (a small portion of the pool area is just barely visible in the lower left corner) that had escaped its pot and over-run the pond. We had to drain the pond and take all the stones out to remove the roots.</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7Za_KMOveM/WPtvXkOYMiI/AAAAAAAAKds/lsrmrHqDLLE_kaYMm45JoVXyC6GDyPlQgCLcB/s1600/water%2Bfeature%2Bbefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7Za_KMOveM/WPtvXkOYMiI/AAAAAAAAKds/lsrmrHqDLLE_kaYMm45JoVXyC6GDyPlQgCLcB/s400/water%2Bfeature%2Bbefore.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our water feature in 2011</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">So for the first few years, we set about removing some of the stones around the water feature, cleaning out the invasive plant in the pool, and getting rid of all the black mulch. Then we began to replace the plants in the surrounding area. We put in a red Japanese maple to spill over the waterfall and an assortment of ferns and hostas to soften the edges of the stones. The bright, grassy plant at the lower left side of the picture below is Japanese forest grass (<i>Hachenechloa macra</i>), one of my favorite plants for brightness and texture in a shady area.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ppj86lg9xXI/WQtPbQIDO5I/AAAAAAAAKkg/uWR6r7MzNMIdO9MY2BjdalgZ3jyk8NszwCEw/s1600/20170502_091042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ppj86lg9xXI/WQtPbQIDO5I/AAAAAAAAKkg/uWR6r7MzNMIdO9MY2BjdalgZ3jyk8NszwCEw/s400/20170502_091042.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">We cleared out the taller plants along the stream (they blocked the view of the waterfall) and replaced them with low-growing, groundcover plants that would minimize weeding. Because this area receives partial sun, we were able to use plants like phlox subulata, candytuft, gardenia radicans, and spreading juniper. The very low-growing groundcover in the picture below is a mixture of ajuga and creeping charlie. Since both were already there, I decided to leave them both and see which one crowds the other out. So far, the creeping charlie is winning near the edges of the stream and the ajuga is winning in the drier areas.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1IEsc-YIXg/WQtWBduOUtI/AAAAAAAAKlc/x9sQRktdpNIDHvh3irWY-3u4GdCUzZ6OACEw/s1600/20170504_111741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q1IEsc-YIXg/WQtWBduOUtI/AAAAAAAAKlc/x9sQRktdpNIDHvh3irWY-3u4GdCUzZ6OACEw/s640/20170504_111741.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">Now that we have the plants surrounding the water feature pretty much done, I've been thinking more about plants to go into the water. The ecosystem of a pond is a very delicate and complicated thing. For whatever reason, the ecosystem of our pond has always been healthy. We have goldfish that seem to be healthy with no supplemental feeding and a lot of tadpoles in the water. Even so, I'd like to have some vegetation to provide a hiding place for the fish. (That fake heron in the picture above is sometimes joined by a real one, and a hawk frequently hangs out in our backyard). Also, the pond end of the water feature gets afternoon sun, so without some plants to provide shade, algae can become an issue when the weather gets hot.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">In the past, I've used water hyacinths to provide coverage in the pond end. We usually buy two plants in the spring and in a few weeks, they've covered half the pond. They multiply like rabbits! For the rest of the summer, we are throwing away about half of them every week to keep them from suffocating the fish. In places where they can survive the winter, they are considered invasive water plants that are dangerous to the environment. Supposedly, water hyacinths are annuals here, but with--dare I say it--global warming, that may change at any time.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">Looking for an alternative to water hyacinth, I was delighted when a master gardener friend shared some of the floating plants from his pond.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another thing I'm experimenting with this year is growing in the stream a variety of plants not traditionally thought of as water plants. Impatiens, which I've grown in the stream bed in previous years, does great.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-3nVl_NN2I/WQtnE8xhjtI/AAAAAAAAKoM/55CBd8h7vsQ1clSuBGj_0s1qBO-cUUkfACLcB/s1600/20170504_122454%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-3nVl_NN2I/WQtnE8xhjtI/AAAAAAAAKoM/55CBd8h7vsQ1clSuBGj_0s1qBO-cUUkfACLcB/s400/20170504_122454%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uu5SQJxWd1s/WQtqfloJVHI/AAAAAAAAKpI/IR3PMCbmeiMaqHpzwsFWiEPSn8QdNnMVACLcB/s1600/20170504_122612%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uu5SQJxWd1s/WQtqfloJVHI/AAAAAAAAKpI/IR3PMCbmeiMaqHpzwsFWiEPSn8QdNnMVACLcB/s400/20170504_122612%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="378" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This year, I'm experiment with lobelia, as well. So far, it seems to be doing quite well.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Notice that both the impatiens and the lobelia are simply wedged, barerooted, between rocks at the stream's edge. Not only does it look more natural without a pot, there is no risk of the soil escaping to muddy the water.</span><br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tu4xf5pLPjs/WQtmSg1KVOI/AAAAAAAAKoQ/W0TWCpFYceoxzSpcbryYmVolKrzJcmYkgCEw/s1600/20170504_123009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tu4xf5pLPjs/WQtmSg1KVOI/AAAAAAAAKoQ/W0TWCpFYceoxzSpcbryYmVolKrzJcmYkgCEw/s400/20170504_123009.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I'm also trying a few cardinal flowers (L<i>obelia cardinalis</i>) directly in the stream. These are plants that typically grow near streams so I'm pretty sure this will work. Because these plants can get fairly tall, I placed several in a mesh planting bag hoping it will provide enough support to keep them from falling over. As the plants get taller and fuller, I don't think the bag (which is placed behind a large stone that serves as a bridge) will be noticeable.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Having a water feature this large is not without work, but I'm hoping that as Jack and I learn more about how to manage it efficiently, we'll find more joy and fewer trials. Already it is more than worth the effort we put into it to be able to watch the birds that bathe in the stream and to listen to the frogs whose babies swim in the pond and laugh at the cat who sits on the edge watching the fish swim just out of her reach. There is something very soothing about water . . . .</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><br />Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-65611759765977257802017-04-25T10:13:00.001-05:002017-04-25T10:13:31.671-05:00R&R Me and Yew and Me and a Dilemma<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y0BAuRHf2xY/WP9jS2-l5FI/AAAAAAAAABg/BfXjuBHVzZkWClzO6jcFA0CWUSD7CEE7ACLcB/h120/images%255B7%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="Kx-O-x" height="120" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y0BAuRHf2xY/WP9jS2-l5FI/AAAAAAAAABg/BfXjuBHVzZkWClzO6jcFA0CWUSD7CEE7ACLcB/h120/images%255B7%255D.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 91px;" width="90" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yew (Taxus)</td></tr></tbody></table>I am half way through weeding and mulching my 14 flowerbeds. While working on a bed I call "The Island of Unwanted Plants" (a bed mostly populated with shrubs I've pulled out of customers landscapes) I pulled out seedlings from my three Yews (Taxus). The seedlings were about the same size as the three I transplanted some 16 years ago when my wife brought them back from her parents house in Bush, Louisiana. Now the Yews are 8-15 feet tall, the shortest one having survived my accidentally mowing over it a couple times. It's always good to see a plant thrive in your landscape and it's especially nice when there is&nbsp;a connection&nbsp;to&nbsp;your past. As our ancestors&nbsp;immigrated to this strange new world&nbsp;I'm sure they brought plants from their homeland&nbsp;mainly to remind them of their former life.&nbsp;Coming from the&nbsp;Coastal South to the Mid South meant a lot of familiar plants just wouldn't work as well here as there so the Yews doing well has been nice. That's the good news.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z5gv_JNVmj0/WP9j4Jp56VI/AAAAAAAAABo/HxBB7zeeJ_keXYoJIS-wKLnn04-7JPRpQCLcB/h120/images%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="Kx-O-x" height="120" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z5gv_JNVmj0/WP9j4Jp56VI/AAAAAAAAABo/HxBB7zeeJ_keXYoJIS-wKLnn04-7JPRpQCLcB/h120/images%255B2%255D.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 90px;" width="90" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CMBS</td></tr></tbody></table>Now for&nbsp;my dilemma: my Crepe Myrtles (Lagerstroemia) have Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale (CMBS). Fortunately, the infestation is&nbsp;not widespread, yet.&nbsp;In order to stop/control the spread of CMBS&nbsp;I took a sponge and a bucket of water and washed off as much as I could reach with my&nbsp;8 foot ladder. I did this to three&nbsp;Crepe Myrtles and I was surprised at how quickly the water turned dirty. The need to frequently change the water made this a laborious process.&nbsp;So for a different three Crepe Myrtles I put on my neoprene gloves and&nbsp;" massaged" the bark, rubbing off the scale. This went a lot quicker though I must have looked like a nut to anyone passing by-talk about your tree hugger. My goal is to see how well each&nbsp;method controls CMBS. I'll be checking every few days to see if CMBS returns and if so how quickly;&nbsp;as that great Zen philosopher, Yogi Berra, once&nbsp;noted&nbsp;"you can observe a lot by watching".<br />My dilemma is what happens if this "hands on" approach doesn't work and I am left with the&nbsp;option to use a neonictinoid chemical to systemically removed the CMBS. Neonictinoids, chemicals such as imidiacloprid, have been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder in bees. These chemicals are indiscriminate pesticides and degrade very slowly. So the dilemma is how do you choose between&nbsp; crepe myrtles and bees; to save one could harm&nbsp;the other. I try to be a good steward of the environment but I am not a 100% organic gardener. The potential loss of pollinators is a cause of real concern and I try to practice Integrated Pest Management,&nbsp;impacting the environment as little as possible, but where to draw the line. <br />Another example of this is the overuse of nitrogen fertilizer. With the Mississippi River draining&nbsp;over half&nbsp;the land mass of the continental United States the runoff of excess nitrogen has caused a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is basically 80 miles by 80 miles just south of the mouth of the river. In addition, excess nitrogen causes algae blooms that periodically&nbsp;have killed off aquatic life off coastal Florida. Anyone with the answer, please let me know. <br /><br />Since it's still Spring I'll finish with two short Emily Dickinson<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>A little Madness in the Spring</strong><br /><br /><a 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imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for emily dickinson" border="0" class="rg_ic rg_i" data-sz="f" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="ZWCZQ6oPjpfZuM:" 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" style="height: 170px; margin-top: 0px; width: 168px;" /></a>A little madness in the Spring<br />Is wholesome even for the king<br />But God be with the Crown-<br />Who ponders this tremendous scene-<br />This whole Experiment of Green-<br />As if it were his own!<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>I cannot meet Spring unmoved</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />I cannot meet Spring unmoved-<br />I feel the old desire-<br />A Hurry with a lingering, mixed,<br />A Warrant to be fair<br /><br />A Competition in&nbsp;my sense<br />With something hid in Her-<br />An as she vanishes, Remorse<br />I saw no more of Her.David M Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07103377370091833510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-10035064795425462017-04-13T14:05:00.000-05:002017-04-13T14:07:01.024-05:00Loropetalum <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The New Southern Living Garden Book</i> calls this plant “as common as barbecue and beer.”&nbsp; No, the reference is not to azaleas or crab grass, but instead to the perennial loropetalum (<i>Loropetalum chinense </i>var<i>. rubrum</i>), also know as Chinese &nbsp;fringe-flower. &nbsp;It is indeed everywhere in and about our county and available at most plant sales and garden centers.&nbsp; In early spring the pink flowers of loropetalum signal the change of seasons, along with the yellow blooms of daffodils and forsythia, and although by mid-April those pink blooms are gone, the attractive burgundy-colored foliage will endure throughout the year.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Its popularity is due not only to its beauty but to its resistance to disease and pests and its varied uses as an understory plant.&nbsp; Native to the Far East, it is happy in our climate, thrives in partial to full sun (and will tolerate shade), needs only moderate amounts of water, and is deer resistant.&nbsp; &nbsp;The&nbsp;<i>rubrum</i>&nbsp;variety grows 8-15 feet tall, but shorter, more compact cultivars are available. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EkR4jk-otCw/WO0Vk3kcdmI/AAAAAAAAAQg/1gPO1Qu5pns6-pmnj-tdaYCcYE3WL-7kgCLcB/s1600/DSCN1361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EkR4jk-otCw/WO0Vk3kcdmI/AAAAAAAAAQg/1gPO1Qu5pns6-pmnj-tdaYCcYE3WL-7kgCLcB/s320/DSCN1361.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loropetalum at Sally Hillard Mini-Park at Evergreen and Belvedere</td></tr></tbody></table>Loropetalum prefers acid or neutral soil and can exhibit signs of chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins) if the soil is too alkaline.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PasixkDq_8/WO0Wbdm6mYI/AAAAAAAAAQk/b6A7XSUwoZsWhchx41ALf5Wm5uHOEdyswCLcB/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PasixkDq_8/WO0Wbdm6mYI/AAAAAAAAAQk/b6A7XSUwoZsWhchx41ALf5Wm5uHOEdyswCLcB/s320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The genus name <i>Loreopetalum</i>describes the flower shape and combines two Greek words, <i>loron</i> meaning strap and <i>petalon</i>meaning petal. The strap-shaped petals form in clusters similar to witch hazel blossoms; both plants are in the Hamamelidaceae family. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I learned about this perennial when I moved into my house and found two five-foot-tall shrubs in the backyard. &nbsp;I didn't recognize it; certainly, my flower-loving grandmother never grew it, since it wasn't introduced into the country until the late 1980s or early 1990s. It took me awhile to roll the name off my tongue (thanks to Mary Wade), and I have progressed to giving friends and even strangers lectures on the plant in grocery stores, in bank parking lots, and on street corners.&nbsp; A year or so ago, in a gardening article in the <i>Commercial Appeal</i>, Chris Gang recommended loropetalum and ocala anise as good choices for screens or borders. &nbsp;Since I have experience with both in my <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uKNNh2n88uQ/WO0YXU5Ew6I/AAAAAAAAAQo/WFpGO4JmssArTU1Pj7V2v2shP1ty4-6MQCLcB/s1600/DSCN1359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uKNNh2n88uQ/WO0YXU5Ew6I/AAAAAAAAAQo/WFpGO4JmssArTU1Pj7V2v2shP1ty4-6MQCLcB/s320/DSCN1359.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larger shrub in Evergreen Historic District</td></tr></tbody></table>landscape, of course I recommended these shrubs to a friend who was searching for a privacy screen between her front porch and the neighboring porch only a few feet away. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Lorepetalum is more than just a shrub, however, although most specimens are shrub-like, growing in a natural mounding shape.&nbsp; Mine were, until they outgrew themselves into gangly, seven-foot tall masses, so that in February I cut them back.&nbsp; They are pitiful now, but I had seen this dire step in process in a nearby landscape and knew that the plants would become the shrubs I want in a year or two. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7HbYudHop0/WO0Uq8exGzI/AAAAAAAAAQY/8G-gvpCCeHQwg8le7vkwmcsKMLeKl9npwCLcB/s1600/DSCN1365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7HbYudHop0/WO0Uq8exGzI/AAAAAAAAAQY/8G-gvpCCeHQwg8le7vkwmcsKMLeKl9npwCLcB/s320/DSCN1365.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheared loropetalum at Regions Bank on Cleveland Street</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Loropetalum can be sheared into a formal hedge like boxwood, as was the case in front of the Regions Bank on Cleveland Street. &nbsp; There is a wilder version of the loropetalum hedge near My Big Backyard at the Memphis Botanic Garden.&nbsp; A row of six-foot-tall (at least) <i>Loropetalum lanceum</i>, the white flowering species, lines the entry walk. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ATNoCxtXpw0/WO0VCWqRb7I/AAAAAAAAAQc/V2DQPzUXMdERmdfGnXokYPvhUVtYebCIQCLcB/s1600/DSCN1355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ATNoCxtXpw0/WO0VCWqRb7I/AAAAAAAAAQc/V2DQPzUXMdERmdfGnXokYPvhUVtYebCIQCLcB/s320/DSCN1355.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Loropetalum can be limbed up to make a single-trunked small tree.&nbsp; I have seen several examples of this in my neighborhood, with the tree usually located at the corner of a house.&nbsp; It can also be espaliered to a fence or wall. &nbsp;I have read that it can be used for bonsai.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I have just removed a dead gardenia beside my front porch and am wondering what to put in its place. Should it be another gardenia (not likely), an azalea (possibility), a Little Lime hydrangea (strong possibility), or something else? &nbsp;Maybe I should choose one of the compact versions of loropetalum that I keep recommending to everyone else!&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></div>Kathy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141904624172495804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-91561729303665844132017-04-02T08:21:00.000-05:002017-04-02T17:57:26.256-05:00Dealing with Freeze Damage<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure that all of us are dealing with damage from the freeze we had mid-March. After a very warm February, most plants had already begun to show signs of spring: deciduous magnolias and azaleas were blooming; and ferns, hosta, and other herbaceous perennials had sprouted. Then, on March 15, the nighttime temperature in my neighborhood was 26. Although I have a few frost blankets, I did not cover any of my plants. So many were at risk that the task seemed impossible.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Although it was sad to see so many plants suffer from the cold, it was interesting to see how the same species were affected differently, depending on the specific cultivar and location of the plant. Take azaleas, for instance. &nbsp;Some of my azaleas had been blooming since early March, and the fully-opened blooms on these were completely ruined by the cold. This was not a terrible loss since their blooms would have been declining very soon anyway. On others (see picture below), the blooms froze on the parts of the plants that were more exposed (and thus the blooms were farther along), &nbsp;and the parts of the plant where the buds had not yet opened were spared and have since flowered.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HTbtqlmY2XM/WNltePe9MeI/AAAAAAAAJ3w/jqwWa52DoxcccCZWkP0VoCIK2AdD503IwCLcB/s1600/Azalea1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HTbtqlmY2XM/WNltePe9MeI/AAAAAAAAJ3w/jqwWa52DoxcccCZWkP0VoCIK2AdD503IwCLcB/s400/Azalea1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">What to do about cold damage on azaleas? I don't intend to do anything until the azaleas have finished blooming. Then I'll prune as I usually do. Admittedly, the freeze-damaged blooms are unattractive and seem to be taking longer to fall off the plant than an undamaged bloom would, but I'll wait and see what happens.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Quite a few of our hosta were also damaged by the cold. Some had not yet broken through the ground, and others were barely peeking through. These were not damaged at all. Others had broken dormancy to various extents, and these were damaged to varying degrees.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MWOHZUWENxg/WODxnpTO8gI/AAAAAAAAKHU/0rIBPqCwbwoT6rSKs8DXmGqrTezG6b-bQCEw/s1600/Hosta1%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MWOHZUWENxg/WODxnpTO8gI/AAAAAAAAKHU/0rIBPqCwbwoT6rSKs8DXmGqrTezG6b-bQCEw/s400/Hosta1%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Here is a cultivar called 'Fragrant Bouquet' that had a few stalks emerged and was somewhat affected by the cold weather. The older leaves on the left side of the picture are a bit crinkled and deformed, but I will probably leave them on the plant and hope that the new foliage will be enough to disguise them.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Here is another 'Fragrant Bouquet,' planted in the same bed, that was completely turned to mush by the cold. Go figure. I will completely remove these stalks once the new ones begin to appear.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNOQVf8jS6o/WODz3QIp22I/AAAAAAAAKHk/k0ltNM8CqN4pG4jLq0GXk-slnHkiEeJmgCLcB/s1600/Hosta2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNOQVf8jS6o/WODz3QIp22I/AAAAAAAAKHk/k0ltNM8CqN4pG4jLq0GXk-slnHkiEeJmgCLcB/s400/Hosta2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">And finally, here is a different cultivar (not sure which) that was fully emerged when the cold came, yet seems to be unaffected.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4fOouR3_FY/WOD8FTP0MnI/AAAAAAAAKKU/d-FFmYjBgKM4h6IXP7s26FcfHTHRQd4lgCLcB/s1600/hostagroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g4fOouR3_FY/WOD8FTP0MnI/AAAAAAAAKKU/d-FFmYjBgKM4h6IXP7s26FcfHTHRQd4lgCLcB/s400/hostagroup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">For me, the list of plants affected by the late cold is a fairly long one. My hardy orchids (<i>Bletilla striata) </i>were fully up with buds about to open, and they were all killed back. They are cold hardy to zone 5 so I'm not too worried about their ultimate survival, but I don't expect to get flowers this year.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The plants I worry about are the ones that are borderline hardy in our area, like the&nbsp;paperbush (<i>Edgeworthia chrysantha).</i> It had already pushed out new leaves, and they seemed to have been stopped in their tracks by the cold. They did not turn brown and crispy but neither have they continue to grow.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PHrtIgj1s78/WOEB2r89Y8I/AAAAAAAAKLw/7wZPnpHs_7A4P1BJsYdhftwBQTgi8B-xQCLcB/s1600/20170402_084010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PHrtIgj1s78/WOEB2r89Y8I/AAAAAAAAKLw/7wZPnpHs_7A4P1BJsYdhftwBQTgi8B-xQCLcB/s400/20170402_084010.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The paperbush pushes up new shoots from the root each spring, seen as the green center in this otherwise still-brown plant. I typically cut these shoots back each year because I like the branching structure that is visible in the winter. This spring, I will wait to see how well the old part of the plant recovers. If it doesn't, these new shoots will become the plant, and I will cut away the old part. I don't think that will happen but I will be patient before pruning away the new shoots.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of patience, in one of my earlier posts, I talked about using a warm February day to cut away the old foliage on our autumn ferns. I wish I had shown more patience in that case. By cutting back the old foliage and revealing the crown to the warm sun, I encouraged early new growth that was too tender to withstand the cold temperatures. By cutting back too early, I left the tender emerging fronds to face the cold without the protection that the old foliage would have provided.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully, we are safe from freezes and frosts for this spring, but only Mother Nature knows. While the rule of thumb for the frost free date is April 15 for our area, it is good to be reminded that there is always the risk of the occasional exception. According to the National Weather service, the latest recorded spring frost date (36 degrees and below) for Memphis is May 4 and the latest freeze date (32 degrees and below) is April 25.&nbsp;</span>Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-69487285526043176782017-03-21T08:38:00.002-05:002017-03-21T08:38:33.152-05:00Rhyme and Reason It's Spring!<br />Today is the first full day of Spring! The vernal equinox occurred yesterday, March 20th,&nbsp;at 5:29AM. After six months of more nighttime than daytime the scale tips in favor of daylight and, with more daylight, comes warmer weather. In gardening time it has been "spring" for a while. The mild temperatures in January and February caused many perennials to emerge and bloom earlier&nbsp;than usual.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YBKKHqysX4g/WNEqcO9ELuI/AAAAAAAAABM/hGGdrvrZICgrWaB8vvKWSdwLVE1SKVtGgCLcB/s1600/images%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YBKKHqysX4g/WNEqcO9ELuI/AAAAAAAAABM/hGGdrvrZICgrWaB8vvKWSdwLVE1SKVtGgCLcB/s1600/images%255B2%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiondoxa forbesii Glory of the Snow</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;In March my garden has seen blooms for: Ipheion uniflorum (Spring Star Flower), Scilla siberica (Siberian Squill),&nbsp; Anemone blanda, (Greek Windflower), Chionodoxa forbesii (Glory of the Snow), Polemonium reptans (Jacob's Ladder), Lecojum aestivum, (Summer snowflake), Vinca minor (Common Periwinkle), and on one of my deciduous azaleas. In addition to the blooms&nbsp;on the&nbsp;above, the foliage for Lycoris squamigera (Naked Ladies), Columbine chrysantha (Golden Columbine), Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susans), Sedum (Autumn Rose)&nbsp;and both the Bearded and the&nbsp;Louisiana Irises have appeared. The&nbsp;Narcissus (Daffodils) have come and&nbsp; gone along with Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrops), and Eranthis hyemalis (Winter aconite) but the Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Roses) are still blooming. It seems that everyday offers some "renewal" in the garden.&nbsp;My gardening goal is to have something blooming every month and Spring gets everything started in that direction. I hope all your garden renewals are bringing as much joy to you as mine bring to me!<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lhd9rz8-Poo/WNEp40KIcbI/AAAAAAAAABE/4wOqPWiKZCQA2TA7XTL8Zu_BlbhgvkBlgCLcB/s1600/images%255B5%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lhd9rz8-Poo/WNEp40KIcbI/AAAAAAAAABE/4wOqPWiKZCQA2TA7XTL8Zu_BlbhgvkBlgCLcB/s200/images%255B5%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lecojum aestivum Summer Snowflake</td></tr></tbody></table>There are so many great garden poems for Spring it's hard to pick just one, but I'm going with e.e. cummings this month. Last month we used a romantic poem by a poet, Robert Frost,&nbsp;who didn't write a lot of romantic poems. This month's poem is by a guy who wrote a lot of romantic (some might say erotic) poems and very few nature poems. Here is his Spring tribute:<br /><br />Spring is like a perhaps hand<br />(which comes carefully<br />out of Nowhere) arranging<br />a window, into which people look(while<br />people stare<br />arranging and changing placing<br />carefully there a strange <br />thing and a known thing here)and<br /><br />changing everything carefully<br /><br />spring is like a perhaps<br />Hand in a window<br />(carefully to<br />and fro moving New and<br />Old things,while<br />people stare carefully<br />moving a perhaps<br />fraction of flower here placing<br />an inch of air there) and<br /><br />without breaking anything<br /><br />David M Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07103377370091833510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-21288843342630361092017-03-07T20:52:00.000-06:002017-03-07T20:52:23.038-06:00Changing Weather Patterns: What’s a Gardener To Do?<div class="MsoNormal">Good Friday, along with its friend Easter, always has been one of those strange holidays that bounced around all over the calendar. Rather than being based on a human calendar, it was determine by nature’s schedule. The actual occurrence could range from March to April, making the selection of that frock for Easter Sunday dicey at best in the most unpredictable of seasons in the South. But one thing was a certainty. My grandmother would be planting her garden on Good Friday no matter what day and month.<o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6rMbQ2XMDDE/WL8pIf-eGDI/AAAAAAAAAF0/pthqT5B5328xufPdfcDd4Y6zMkEB0IDowCLcB/s1600/erl519967f1_hr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6rMbQ2XMDDE/WL8pIf-eGDI/AAAAAAAAAF0/pthqT5B5328xufPdfcDd4Y6zMkEB0IDowCLcB/s320/erl519967f1_hr.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">But Mother Nature’s schedule has been shifting and changing. According to a report recently published in the journal <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Environmental Research Letters</i>, spring, defined as the day when leaves first appear and flowers begin blooming, will arrive an average of 22 days earlier by 2100. The good news is that the Southern states, where “leaf out” already is relatively early, will be the least affected.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">However, predictions are that nationwide planting zones will shift more rapidly than in the past. Currently, Memphis is a tiny island of Zone 8 with most of Tennessee in Zone 7. The map below shows Zone 8 moving north over the next 30 years. For some of us, this will mean opportunities to plant gardens that are more traditionally Southern. For others, this could create challenges in maintaining some of our favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span><o:p></o:p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gns3YZL1Yac/WL8o2DMUMWI/AAAAAAAAAFw/c2KIIXImpEQgj2Ugzx3jOdCToun9qyMRQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-06%2Bat%2B2.16.32%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gns3YZL1Yac/WL8o2DMUMWI/AAAAAAAAAFw/c2KIIXImpEQgj2Ugzx3jOdCToun9qyMRQCLcB/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-03-06%2Bat%2B2.16.32%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And the immediate future looks warm and warmer. While many Memphians are hoping for a hard freeze soon to help control the insects and other critters that plague us during our long hot summers, neither the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Farmer’s Almanac</i> nor the various weather services are offering much hope. Temperatures are predicted to continue to be fair through the spring, although, as we well know, there are no guarantees!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So what’s a gardener to do? First is to realize that we are not in control as much as <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>we’d like to be. Whatever the reason for the increasingly warmer weather, most of us are not in a position to do much about it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Realize that the warming trends eventually become more apparent and adjust accordingly. Respect your Zone and smaller ecosystem where you garden. 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SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Sources:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Environmental Research Letters, Farmers Almanac, GlobalChange.gov<o:p></o:p></div>Cindy Conner Burnetthttps://plus.google.com/102560707548722536199noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-87621078608219752172017-02-28T10:28:00.001-06:002017-02-28T10:28:18.680-06:00Lessons Learned from Composting Experiences<span style="font-size: large;">Jack and I have composted the fallen leaves at our house since we moved here about 5 years ago. When we first started composting our leaves, I read a lot about the "rules" of composting. The rules say that you need a 30:1 ratio of "browns" (leaves and other high-carbon materials) to "greens" (grass, garden waste, and other high-nitrogen materials). If you have just leaves and grass, a pile composed of 2 parts leaves to 1 part grass clippings is ideal. But when, like us, &nbsp;you have a mix of vegetable scraps and coffee grounds as your sources of nitrogen, calculating the correct ratio becomes too challenging. What are the consequences of getting the ratio wrong? Too much nitrogen and the pile can get too hot and become smelly (or so, I've read. We've never had this experience.) Too little and the pile won't heat up and is slow to decompose. We never had enough greens to reach the suggested carbon to nitrogen ratio so in the past we used bagged ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) fertilizer to make up for the lack of nitrogen.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Other composting rules say that the pile must be kept moist, but not too wet, and that you must turn the pile to maintain good oxygen level while it is in the hot composting phase. Also, the materials in the pile (in particular, leaves) should be shredded or chopped to make the particles small, but not so small that airflow is inhibited. I never realized that composting was so complicated!!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The first year we composted, we tried to do everything just right. We calculated carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (or tried to). We chopped and shredded. We moistened and turned. And we made compost, but it took a full year.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">At the other extreme in composting practices are those folks who don't observe composting rules; they just pile stuff up and wait. Over the years, our technique has moved more toward this end of the continuum. Experience has taught us that small particle size is important if we want our fall leaves to be usable compost by the next year. Jack now runs over the leaves 3-4 times with the lawnmower before we transfer them to the compost pile. &nbsp;Moisture has proven to be important, too, and we water the leaves down as we build the pile so that the pile gets wet throughout. We stopped using chemical fertilizer as a nitrogen source (just our coffee grounds and vegetable and fruit waste), and it hasn't seemed to make a lot of difference in the heat of the pile. In fact, this thermometer is in a pile that was built with nothing but leaves and a few vegetable discards, and the temperature in the pile was 130 degrees.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dr3mnma_RGs/WFxzEpjT2-I/AAAAAAAAJO8/0oERtytATq8uXqLN5nlZ3_E278CYuAIwwCLcB/s1600/20161222_141952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dr3mnma_RGs/WFxzEpjT2-I/AAAAAAAAJO8/0oERtytATq8uXqLN5nlZ3_E278CYuAIwwCLcB/s400/20161222_141952.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">So we've given up on obsessing about our compost pile and it seems to be doing just fine. These days, there are too many other important environmental (and other) issues to be concerned about!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-11354340779110215542017-02-22T06:01:00.000-06:002017-02-22T06:01:30.544-06:00<h2>Rhyme and Reason-February 2017</h2>In&nbsp; keeping with the spirit of St. Valentine's Day last week, this month's featured poem is one of the few romantic poems by Robert Frost.<br /><br /><h3>The Rose Family</h3>The rose is a rose,<br />And was always a rose.<br />But the theory now goes<br />That the apple's a rose,<br />And the pear is and so's<br />The plum, I suppose<br />The dear only knows <br />What will next prove a rose,<br />You, of course, are a rose-<br />But were always a rose.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cPlH-1GQk1c/WKILTbs6weI/AAAAAAAAAAo/TtmKRQ9wyIkNaO8fz86ZkduiiIEBc3axQCLcB/h120/images%255B10%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rx-O-x" height="120" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cPlH-1GQk1c/WKILTbs6weI/AAAAAAAAAAo/TtmKRQ9wyIkNaO8fz86ZkduiiIEBc3axQCLcB/h120/images%255B10%255D.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 119px;" width="118" /></a><br />What Frost alludes to is the scientific classification of plants, namely Taxonomy, which classifies all plants from the most inclusive group to the least. This modern&nbsp;system was created in the 18th century&nbsp;by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist. The order used today (from most inclusive is least) is as follows: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species. Linnaeus used binomial nomenclature (i.e. two names) to identify a specific plant, a&nbsp;species. So, for instance, <em>rosa moschata </em>is the taxonomic name species name for what is commonly known as the Musk Rose, a deciduous shrub.&nbsp; <br />Now, in&nbsp;going &nbsp;from the specific (species) to the more inclusive (family) in the taxonomic table you find that along with the rose, apples and pears and plums are all members of the family <em>Rosaceae, </em>a large Family of plants that includes the fruit trees in the poem as well as many other plants. If we were to go from the Family to the Genus of the fruits mentioned we would find that they are all separated from the rose at that level. And that the fruits are all separated from each other as well at the Genus level. <br />A fair question at this point would be, why the heck does this matter to me as a gardener? Well, most of the time, it doesn't make a bit of difference. However, if you had a rose that contracted rose rosette virus the recommendation for replacing that rose is not to use any plant in the Family <em>rosaceae </em>in that location. For instance, you wouldn't want to replace a rose rosette virus victim with Spirea, a plant also in the <em>Rosaceae </em>family.<br />While there may not be a lot of need to know the&nbsp; Family of plants, there is definitely value in knowing the taxonomic species name. Whenever I give a presentation on plants I always use the species name along with the common name.&nbsp;After a recent garden presentation, a fellow Master Gardener&nbsp;asked me about the difference between snowdrops and snowflakes, two common names for winter/spring flowering bulbs. Snowdrops are of the specie <em>Galanthus</em> and snowflakes are <em>Leucojum</em>. The former&nbsp;grows about six inches tall and&nbsp;blooms in&nbsp;mid winter while the latter&nbsp;is 12-15 inchers tall and blooms in late winter, early Spring. In confusing the two, you could put a six inch &nbsp;plant&nbsp;in an a poor location because you thought it would be a 12-15 inch. So don't think that the taxonomic name is "snooty"; it just makes sure we are all on the same page, or more specifically, the same plant.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fcbyhd5uK98/WKIKm3kf8kI/AAAAAAAAAAk/1Ry5mlMRHyQq6-9eDeRxrGc6wHG4vHgKgCLcB/h120/images%255B9%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rx-O-x" height="120" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fcbyhd5uK98/WKIKm3kf8kI/AAAAAAAAAAk/1Ry5mlMRHyQq6-9eDeRxrGc6wHG4vHgKgCLcB/h120/images%255B9%255D.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 174px;" width="173" /></a>All of this leads me to the plant I want to talk about for February: <em>Helleborus orientalis, </em>Lenten Roses. Lenten Roses are not in the <em>Rosaceae&nbsp;</em>family they are in the&nbsp;<em>Ranunculaceae </em>family, nevertheless I'm a huge fan of this plant. Hellebores are&nbsp;shade plants that grow 12-15 inches tall and bloom this time of year. The common name comes from&nbsp;the fact that its bloom&nbsp;time usually coincides with the Christian&nbsp;Lenten season. One of my goals as a gardener is to have something blooming in every month and Hellebores&nbsp;bloom&nbsp;when not a lot of other&nbsp;plants are blooming.&nbsp;Hellebores also are a year round plant, their only requirement&nbsp;is to cut off the old foliage prior to bloom.&nbsp;But wait there's more, Hellebores are also vole resistant, unlike Hostas. I no longer plant hostas because it pains me to find them destroyed by this little sightless rodent. &nbsp;With spring planting season fast approaching this is definitely a plant to consider for your 2017-2018 shade garden. <br />And to close on the rose subject remember: <br />"What's in a name? That which we call a rose<br />By any other name would smell as sweet" <br />Juliet Capulet Act 2 Scene 2&nbsp;in&nbsp;Wm. Shakespeare's <em><strong>Romeo and Juliet.</strong></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><h2>&nbsp;</h2>David M Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07103377370091833510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-8673264723387311952017-02-21T17:50:00.000-06:002017-02-21T17:50:01.246-06:00Grow a Little Fruit Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4oCiSFHkzI/WKzPyVHhogI/AAAAAAAAGcE/bIpB3o4VCdE1r5YT3L28U-drE7dDWA1OACLcB/s1600/Daddy%2B%2526%2BWalter%2Bplant%2Bpeach%2Btrees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4oCiSFHkzI/WKzPyVHhogI/AAAAAAAAGcE/bIpB3o4VCdE1r5YT3L28U-drE7dDWA1OACLcB/s400/Daddy%2B%2526%2BWalter%2Bplant%2Bpeach%2Btrees.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Little-Fruit-Tree-Easy-Harvest/dp/1612120547/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1487720450&amp;sr=1-1">Grow a Little Fruit Tree</a></i> is the name of a book by Ann Ralph which has intrigued me for some three years. &nbsp;It was published about the same time that we purchased our current house and I began dreaming about a new garden. &nbsp;I was obsessed with the idea of a <a href="http://www.finegardening.com/who-says-kitchen-garden-cant-be-beautiful">potager</a> and designed something as close as I could get for the front of the house. <br /><br />But that's the subject of a future post...back to fruit trees. &nbsp;One of the elements of a potager is fruit trees. &nbsp;Peaches are my favorite fruit, for eating and for cooking. &nbsp;My father moved here last year from a little farm in Arkansas where he had a fruit orchard. &nbsp;To help him feel at home, we planted six fruit trees in his backyard in High Point Terrace last spring. &nbsp;I had told him about the Little Fruit Tree (LFT) technique, but he's 87 years old and told me that he trusted his way and didn't want to experiment. I understand. &nbsp;However, one of his six trees was a little misformed - the runt, if you will - and he "graciously" designated it as my tree and told me that I could do what I wanted with it. &nbsp;So I used the LFT method on it and it has performed as well as his "normal" trees, which have been fantastic.<br /><br />We bought Daddy's trees from <a href="https://www.willisorchards.com/">Willis Orchard Company</a> in Cartersville, GA and were so pleased that I went back to them for mine. &nbsp;I did some research and decided on one each of Redskin, Elberta, and Belle of Georgia. &nbsp;These are all self pollinators and they have successive maturation dates. &nbsp;I ordered 4-5' bareroot trees for spring delivery. &nbsp;Imagine my surprise when I was notified that they would arrive last week! &nbsp;It's not spring in my mind, but the fruit trees are budding and Willis said that if they delayed shipment until mid-March, they couldn't guarantee success. <br /><br />So on they came. &nbsp;We weren't able to plant them until last Sunday at which time I was down with a bad cold, so Daddy and Walter came to my rescue. &nbsp;The lead photo shows them working on the second tree - that's Walter digging and Daddy supervising!<br /><br />Now for the Little Fruit Tree part. &nbsp;The LTF theory is that standard size trees are hardier than dwarf varieties. &nbsp;Unfortunately, standard size trees very quickly grow past the ability of the average home gardener to prune them effectively. &nbsp;So LTF uses an aggressive pruning schedule to keep the trees 5-6 feet tall, which most amateurs can handle without a ladder. &nbsp;Let me give you an example.<br /><br />Here is my Redskin peach tree before the initial LTF pruning:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_yM9WUX8oeg/WKzNqO-3rxI/AAAAAAAAGbw/vZ1WAa3P0JcoklzPaVm5gnq8QGajDWwHQCLcB/s1600/Redskin%2Bbefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_yM9WUX8oeg/WKzNqO-3rxI/AAAAAAAAGbw/vZ1WAa3P0JcoklzPaVm5gnq8QGajDWwHQCLcB/s400/Redskin%2Bbefore.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Nice, right?<br /><br />Here it is after the hard heading cut recommended by LTF:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hhdLLmCmeIY/WKzN8b7NIrI/AAAAAAAAGb0/NlxZrmsX4XgVxJkv6cpb-cmGw2tJBx5dQCLcB/s1600/Redskin%2Bafter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hhdLLmCmeIY/WKzN8b7NIrI/AAAAAAAAGb0/NlxZrmsX4XgVxJkv6cpb-cmGw2tJBx5dQCLcB/s400/Redskin%2Bafter.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />I know you're gasping. &nbsp;The tree is now about 24" high. &nbsp;The idea is that the buds below the cut and above the graft will produce new branches which will eventually be pruned into a new scaffolding for the tree.<br /><br />I'll keep you updated on this experiment. &nbsp;And if you pay attention to the photo background, you'll get a little tease of the potager design! &nbsp;The before and after of the other two trees:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ9MU26x6TA/WKzRisk8AvI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/R05AysH48jox1rh5zgNfSStN5WZGOVEPwCLcB/s1600/Elberta%2Bbefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZ9MU26x6TA/WKzRisk8AvI/AAAAAAAAGcQ/R05AysH48jox1rh5zgNfSStN5WZGOVEPwCLcB/s400/Elberta%2Bbefore.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elberta - before</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71qrotwmW98/WKzRqgQDb5I/AAAAAAAAGcU/oxDCsDcjs58u4v62RZfx1rmywAdNmQ54QCLcB/s1600/Elberta%2Bafter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-71qrotwmW98/WKzRqgQDb5I/AAAAAAAAGcU/oxDCsDcjs58u4v62RZfx1rmywAdNmQ54QCLcB/s400/Elberta%2Bafter.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elberta - after</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FRGszVQS0Q/WKzRxeVl_8I/AAAAAAAAGcY/oGTiYCHhMb40HfOyoBPINNy0rRxpSC2lgCLcB/s1600/Belle%2Bof%2BGeorgia%2Bbefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FRGszVQS0Q/WKzRxeVl_8I/AAAAAAAAGcY/oGTiYCHhMb40HfOyoBPINNy0rRxpSC2lgCLcB/s400/Belle%2Bof%2BGeorgia%2Bbefore.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belle of Georgia - before</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pTh5DLSoUew/WKzR6rRbYUI/AAAAAAAAGcc/YGBDBTmZY7o5Hh5T2pTgh4upl56o9BhlgCLcB/s1600/Belle%2Bof%2BGeorgia%2Bafter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pTh5DLSoUew/WKzR6rRbYUI/AAAAAAAAGcc/YGBDBTmZY7o5Hh5T2pTgh4upl56o9BhlgCLcB/s400/Belle%2Bof%2BGeorgia%2Bafter.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belle of Georgia - after</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Suzanne Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15303254428161539477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-6255181399815320772017-02-15T09:16:00.000-06:002017-02-15T09:16:30.211-06:00My Mother's Orchid<span style="font-size: large;">Last year I bought my mother an orchid for Mother's Day. It was a very good-looking specimen, flush with buds and healthy green leaves. Some of the buds had already opened, and the bloom was an unusual color that I've never seen before (and can't name). &nbsp;I took the plant to mama's nursing home and set it on the chest where she could see it when she was in bed.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">It was a good choice for a nursing home plant because the staff didn't need to take care of it. I watered it when I visited and if I forgot, no problem: orchids are very forgiving of being underwatered. It bloomed for several months and mama got a lot of enjoyment from it, although she never claimed it as her own. When I visited her, she would say, "Look, your orchid is still blooming!"</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">When it stopped blooming in late summer, I took it home with me for its rest period. I clipped back the bloom stalks to a node. This kind of pruning had resulted in a quick (although light) rebloom for me in the past. My intention was to take it back to the nursing home when new buds developed.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IfCjUbuH2gA/WKRrRFmEY9I/AAAAAAAAJoM/ClR9jKf1gz8J0ya8evjNV01x1DsWaf6uwCLcB/s1600/orchid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IfCjUbuH2gA/WKRrRFmEY9I/AAAAAAAAJoM/ClR9jKf1gz8J0ya8evjNV01x1DsWaf6uwCLcB/s400/orchid.jpg" width="225" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">But the buds were slow to appear, and my mother died in October. &nbsp;As winter approached, the orchid began to develop buds, and one day last week, the first flower appeared.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Seeing this orchid bloom is bittersweet. It makes me miss my mother. I think about how she would enjoy seeing these blooms, and how, just last year, this same plant gave her pleasure. These blooms also remind me that we leave something of our own lives in every life we touch, even the life of a plant.</span><br /><br /><br />Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-84323576513466466942017-02-12T17:07:00.000-06:002017-02-12T17:07:59.722-06:00Anthurium for Valentine's Day<span style="font-size: large;">If your poinsettias are like mine, by early February they are </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEcvGsmf_RE/WKDVHvM22EI/AAAAAAAAAOE/KhcdWXb8aLYkt0X1JtDsnhcHICIG-uiZQCLcB/s1600/DSCN1349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rEcvGsmf_RE/WKDVHvM22EI/AAAAAAAAAOE/KhcdWXb8aLYkt0X1JtDsnhcHICIG-uiZQCLcB/s200/DSCN1349.JPG" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">dropping bracts and beginning to look pitiful. &nbsp;Like most flower lovers, I am ready to move on to the next flower in the seasonal line-up, namely, the fragrant and beautiful red roses associated with Valentine's Day. &nbsp;In the language of flowers, red roses signify love, and it is no surprise that for many centuries they have dominated a holiday associated with romance.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6vjB7TefAGw/WKDJy7Vko7I/AAAAAAAAANs/ZwEHafIo7r0z9GM7tqkcP4N0pbB0LcpfwCEw/s1600/download%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6vjB7TefAGw/WKDJy7Vko7I/AAAAAAAAANs/ZwEHafIo7r0z9GM7tqkcP4N0pbB0LcpfwCEw/s1600/download%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: large;">Whether ordered online or purchased in the local grocery or florist, a variety of fragrant rose bouquets are available to delight a sweetheart, mother, or other special someone.&nbsp; In 2016 we spent $1.9 billion on flowers for Valentine’s Day, no doubt mainly roses.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">But not always.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">I recall wiring hydrangea or tulip plants and mixed bouquets to my mother over the years.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8sOEsBgbzDw/WKDJWThAGOI/AAAAAAAAANY/QSY8-_fYkkkYojtPl1b0KqA4eI1VdusFwCLcB/s1600/DSCN1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8sOEsBgbzDw/WKDJWThAGOI/AAAAAAAAANY/QSY8-_fYkkkYojtPl1b0KqA4eI1VdusFwCLcB/s320/DSCN1343.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">If you would like something more lasting than cut roses, however, and something less common than a potted hydrangea or tulip, let me suggest <i>Anthurium</i>. &nbsp;People who have lived in Hawaii are probably familiar with it. This plant was suggested to me as a Valentine’s floral substitute by a friend. The name was unfamiliar to me, but not the description. Since that discussion, I have learned a lot about this genus and even ordered one from Rachel’s Flowers and Gifts so that I could study it up close and personal! &nbsp;</span><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthurium" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgoW9pow8kU/WJ82HWhAOgI/AAAAAAAAAMw/uz0rREVX33oQPl9wrG36F0TS-2e9SCOZwCLcB/s1600/slide_32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgoW9pow8kU/WJ82HWhAOgI/AAAAAAAAAMw/uz0rREVX33oQPl9wrG36F0TS-2e9SCOZwCLcB/s320/slide_32.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">It is the beautiful heart-shaped flowers and leaves that make <i>Anthurium</i> so fitting for this special holiday. &nbsp;What I am calling the flowers bears closer scrutiny, however. &nbsp;The actual flowers of <i>Anthurium</i> are not the red (or other colored) heart-shaped structures on stems rising from the pot; instead, the flowers are contained in dense spirals on the spadix, which is often elongated into a spike shape. &nbsp;Beneath the spadix is the spathe, a type of bract we are familiar with from the "blooms" of poinsettias. &nbsp;The spathe can extend out flat or in a curve or even rise backward like a hood. &nbsp;All postures are evident on my specimen. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JLJtAzKeSlE/WIgvG_AuOWI/AAAAAAAAALo/iIluirDLAVQUWAjeSimJGOgIa3-G_3ndgCLcB/s1600/kozohara-anthurium-flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthurium" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgoW9pow8kU/WJ82HWhAOgI/AAAAAAAAAMw/uz0rREVX33oQPl9wrG36F0TS-2e9SCOZwCLcB/s1600/slide_32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span>.</a></div><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JLJtAzKeSlE/WIgvG_AuOWI/AAAAAAAAALo/iIluirDLAVQUWAjeSimJGOgIa3-G_3ndgCLcB/s1600/kozohara-anthurium-flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JLJtAzKeSlE/WIgvG_AuOWI/AAAAAAAAALo/iIluirDLAVQUWAjeSimJGOgIa3-G_3ndgCLcB/s200/kozohara-anthurium-flower.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The genus name comes from the Greek words <i>anthos </i>meaning a flower and <i>oura</i> meaning a tail referring to the tail-like spadix. &nbsp;In its native zone 11 or 12, fruits develop from the flowers on the spadix—juicy berries usually containing two seeds.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even without the “flowers,” the plant is attractive with its dark green foliage, which florists frequently use in floral displays. &nbsp;<i>Anthurium</i> is in the Araceae or Arum Family, and is classified in a genus of herbs. &nbsp;My potted specimen is terrestrial, but some often grow as epiphytes on other plants. Because <i>Anthurium</i> is tropical, &nbsp;actually native to Columbia and Ecuador, in our zone 7, it is definitely a houseplant and unlikely to have fruits although supposedly long-lived.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S6f-ZyGhU5E/WKDhHUd92_I/AAAAAAAAAOg/E4OSMxM_B64rZ1uVHZunday5T2FUEiVBQCLcB/s1600/1_6c93f4a43e263b8bd60aeab62d015ce2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S6f-ZyGhU5E/WKDhHUd92_I/AAAAAAAAAOg/E4OSMxM_B64rZ1uVHZunday5T2FUEiVBQCLcB/s200/1_6c93f4a43e263b8bd60aeab62d015ce2.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The Missouri Botanical Garden has many specimens, and many hybrids come out of Hawaii. &nbsp;Like other plants in the Araceae family, this one&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">contains calcium oxalate crystals and is toxic. &nbsp; Among its common names are flamingo lily, laceleaf and painter’s palette, but I have also heard it referred to as little boy plant.</span><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp;😊 &nbsp;</span><a href="http://anthuriumhi.com/" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">more info</span></a><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been taking my </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">Anthurium</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> from room to room with me as I contemplate its features, and I have to admit that while it has its charms, &nbsp;it doesn’t live up to roses, certainly not in aroma, but I am still happy I made it my Valentine’s plant this year.&nbsp; I will see if I can keep it alive for a while by locating it in a sunny window, keeping it warm and humid, and watering it every day or two.&nbsp; The real success of that will be if my plant puts forth new "blooms" and eventually gets big enough to divide.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div></div>Kathy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141904624172495804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-44585441054314531972017-02-03T17:59:00.000-06:002017-02-06T15:22:14.391-06:00Coloring In A Blank Space<br /><span style="font-size: large;">I'm relatively new to Tennessee, having moved here just two years ago.&nbsp; I was raised on a farm in eastern Arkansas, so planting and gardening is in my blood.&nbsp; I've gardened ever since I purchased my first home in 1972, but it's been just recently that I have joined the Memphis Area Master Gardeners, a really great group of gardeners who can answer all your questions.&nbsp; I am proud to be part of this organization.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">That being said, my gardening project for this year is going to be adding landscape to a home that I purchased last fall.&nbsp; The existing landscape consists of lots of red knockout roses, pink muhly grass and some reblooming azaleas which look pretty sad right now.&nbsp; The first order of business for me is to prune what I have.&nbsp; Late January and early February are the optimal times to prune roses.&nbsp; An old gardener friend of mine once told me that she always pruned her beautiful roses on Valentine's Day.&nbsp; She said that she always thought of roses on that day, so it always reminded her to prune.&nbsp; The muhly grass is also ready to be pruned before the new shoots start popping out.&nbsp; The same goes for the few sprouts of liriope that are growing in my flower beds. &nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">My blank space is my backyard.&nbsp; A new flower bed is definitely called for in the back yard which mostly gets 100% sunshine.&nbsp; My favorite flower is the daylily, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Hemerocallis</i>, which will take up most of the space in this new bed.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-size: large;">The word <i>Hemerocallis</i> is derived from two Greek words meaning "beauty" and "day," referring to the fact that each flower lasts only one day. To make up for this, there are many flower buds on each daylily flower stalk, and many stalks in each clump of plants, so, the flowering period of a clump is usually several weeks long. Many cultivars have more than one flowering period.&nbsp; <span class="style5"></span>I brought several small specimens with me in pots when I moved, but they are beginning to sprout new foliage now and it's time that they get in the ground. &nbsp;</span><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=856311072448297244" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=856311072448297244" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: large;">The daylily is sometimes referred to as the perfect perennial.&nbsp; Here are a few reasons why.&nbsp; It is: </span><br /><ul class="style5"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Available in a rainbow of colors and a variety of shapes and sizes.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Able to survive with very little care in a wide range of climates.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Suitable for all types of landscapes.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Drought tolerant when necessary, with relatively few pest and disease problems in most gardens. </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Adaptable to various soil and light conditions.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">Known to bloom from late spring until autumn.</span></li></ul><span style="font-size: large;">So now I'd better wind this up and get my gardening tools out.&nbsp; I'll keep you updated next time on how things go.&nbsp; Here are a few pictures of daylilies that I have had in the past.&nbsp; See you next time!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3t6cqoA-BMQ/WJUIpoR4U2I/AAAAAAAAGBE/xiG0deCg17E4wym60k2tXQzbc3j0vOURACPcB/s1600/061409%2Bflowers%2B049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3t6cqoA-BMQ/WJUIpoR4U2I/AAAAAAAAGBE/xiG0deCg17E4wym60k2tXQzbc3j0vOURACPcB/s200/061409%2Bflowers%2B049.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRXGJsOBuck/WJUSf7nNeDI/AAAAAAAAGBc/Z-WMfeTJko4s7FISzf-SH54I9hJZua7TACKgB/s1600/20160527_144045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRXGJsOBuck/WJUSf7nNeDI/AAAAAAAAGBc/Z-WMfeTJko4s7FISzf-SH54I9hJZua7TACKgB/s320/20160527_144045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXCxqM3lVto/WJUUc6o75FI/AAAAAAAAGBo/DmziROw-YmMAJo7o_ddYLzoYwdH-5TRRgCKgB/s1600/20160622_200926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qXCxqM3lVto/WJUUc6o75FI/AAAAAAAAGBo/DmziROw-YmMAJo7o_ddYLzoYwdH-5TRRgCKgB/s200/20160622_200926.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L8gFA5KZkRA/WJUU-IcdAiI/AAAAAAAAGB0/GDBnXvOpSDMoVjVQuyw8Soh9rF62Fg7CQCKgB/s1600/20160527_144239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L8gFA5KZkRA/WJUU-IcdAiI/AAAAAAAAGB0/GDBnXvOpSDMoVjVQuyw8Soh9rF62Fg7CQCKgB/s200/20160527_144239.jpg" width="111" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7c1R23JHNs/WJUU-CVBUSI/AAAAAAAAGB0/9qMtN7spb1gPyxza06q7VYBV_zbwTvIjACKgB/s1600/20160611_195941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q7c1R23JHNs/WJUU-CVBUSI/AAAAAAAAGB0/9qMtN7spb1gPyxza06q7VYBV_zbwTvIjACKgB/s200/20160611_195941.jpg" width="112" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1624178932"></span><span id="goog_1624178933"></span><br /></span><span id="goog_561408121"></span><span id="goog_561408122"></span>m herringtonhttps://plus.google.com/108764317596028551090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-85191687475525180912017-02-02T18:40:00.000-06:002017-02-02T18:40:26.604-06:00Spring Pruning: Too Early?<span style="font-size: large;">The warm weather this week makes me want to get in the garden. It would certainly be nice to get a jump on some of the spring gardening tasks because rainy spring weather often delays critical tasks. A walk around the garden revealed that some of our plants think that spring has arrived already. The roses have new growth and the daffodils have fat buds that are nearly ready to open.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">I like to cut our rose bushes back in early spring because they tend to grow quite large in a single season. &nbsp;All our roses bloom on new growth so I don't worry about losing blooms (although hard pruning can delay the bloom a bit). But the rule of thumb is to prune roses when the forsythia is blooming, and I have not seen any in bloom yet. So I knew it was a bit early, but since new growth has already started, I didn't see the harm in pruning now. But to confirm, I called the Memphis Botanic Garden and spoke to Rick Pudwell. He confirmed my suspicion that it was a bit early for pruning. He said that freezing weather could make the plant die back below the pruning cut. So I mostly pruned out dead wood, except for one bush that was really overgrown. I pruned this one back a bit, but saved the severe pruning for next month.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">One of our early spring tasks every year is to cut back the liriope and evergreen ferns to remove the old, raggedy foliage before the new growth starts. Some people cut their liriope and ornamental grasses to the ground in the fall, but I enjoy the foliage (both the green of the lirope and the brown of the grasses) during the winter. So we usually wait to cut our foliage until the new growth just begins to emerge. Wait too long and it is difficult to cut the old growth without cutting the new sprouts. Cut it back early enough (before new growth begins) and you can use hedge clippers or a string trimmer and make a quick job of it.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQKCrl6Gmik/WJJ3ZlAGm6I/AAAAAAAAJis/6iPpAY4TWEcTX91kkFTzzXJaMDIDt3SZgCLcB/s1600/fiddleheads%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQKCrl6Gmik/WJJ3ZlAGm6I/AAAAAAAAJis/6iPpAY4TWEcTX91kkFTzzXJaMDIDt3SZgCLcB/s400/fiddleheads%2B-%2BEdited.jpg" width="336" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">So, even though our evergreen ferns still looked pretty good, &nbsp;I decided to take advantage of the warm temperatures to begin cutting back some of the worst-looking foliage on our autumn and holly ferns. While doing this, I was very surprised to see that the holly fern had already begun to produce new fiddleheads. This sight motivated me to cut back not only all our evergreen ferns but the liriope as well. Although I did not see any new growth on the autumn ferns or the liriope, with this continued mild weather I wouldn't be surprised to see new growth any day now. We seem to be on track for an early spring, regardless of Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of 6 more weeks of winter.</span><br /><br />Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-28232751766388323282017-01-27T13:19:00.000-06:002017-01-27T13:19:36.770-06:00The Star of our Winter Garden (and some supporting actors)<span style="font-size: large;">This is the small garden that borders our driveway near the entrance to the garage.&nbsp;</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gYbubpulHdk/WIuZ6crlefI/AAAAAAAAJe8/kD2Kry_8HqENrygPLu0XWc2S2yFKK7O4ACLcB/s1600/20170127_104550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gYbubpulHdk/WIuZ6crlefI/AAAAAAAAJe8/kD2Kry_8HqENrygPLu0XWc2S2yFKK7O4ACLcB/s400/20170127_104550.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Because it is our front lawn area, it was important to me that the plants in this garden have good winter interest. It contains a number of evergreen plants that I really enjoy: autumn fern, hellebores, and liriope. But the star of this garden is the paper bush (<i>Edgeworthia chrysantha</i>).</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84hhtcAyn3E/VT1kQP-wd-I/AAAAAAAAA5Y/Pf6RAM2DpRU6e4Mm_W0VwxV29RvuJOjEwCPcB/s1600/edgeworthia%2B-%2BEdited.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84hhtcAyn3E/VT1kQP-wd-I/AAAAAAAAA5Y/Pf6RAM2DpRU6e4Mm_W0VwxV29RvuJOjEwCPcB/s400/edgeworthia%2B-%2BEdited.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: large;">The paper bush (not to be confused with the rice paper bush) is an attractive green shrub in the summer. In the fall it drops its leaves to reveal its interesting branching structure. In November, unique flower buds begin to appear that resemble white bells. This time of year, small, very fragrant, yellow flowers begin to open, barely visible from the bottom of the bell. Winter foraging bees love them. On warm days, I like to sit on the bench in this garden and enjoy the fragrance.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r__ulAGm3UA/VqzQn8-XBAI/AAAAAAAAEKo/tBlnlwJiLlcZQHpjC2Hr0W1y_wK5fC50gCPcB/s1600/20160130_083714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r__ulAGm3UA/VqzQn8-XBAI/AAAAAAAAEKo/tBlnlwJiLlcZQHpjC2Hr0W1y_wK5fC50gCPcB/s400/20160130_083714.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Jack and I were walking up the driveway just after dark a few nights ago. The wonderful scent greeted us as we approached the entrance to the garage. I said to Jack, "I love that paperbush. It makes me happy all year round." He gave me one of those looks that say "I wish I had a nickel for every time you've told me that." But, truth be told, he loves it too!</span>Deb Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08717967426822480145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-14712494074630341922017-01-21T07:17:00.000-06:002017-01-21T07:17:05.332-06:00Rhyme and Reason<br /><span style="font-size: large;">Rhyme and Reason</span><br />Welcome to Rhyme and Reason, my blog on gardening. The goal of this blog is to relate the art of poetry with practical gardening advice, combining art and science if you will. Anyway here goes, I hope you find it interesting and informative.<br /><em></em><br /><em>"Now is the winter of our discontent"&nbsp; </em><u>Richard the Third,</u> Act 1, Scene 1, Line 1 William Shakespeare<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VDthbdYSkmY/WID6bMGYXeI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/ZfWNerhiZYM7_PXQoO-Uz6h-0UJ1hiZWQCLcB/h120/william-shakespeare-19447383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="px-O-x" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VDthbdYSkmY/WID6bMGYXeI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/ZfWNerhiZYM7_PXQoO-Uz6h-0UJ1hiZWQCLcB/h120/william-shakespeare-19447383.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 96px;" width="320" /></a>For gardeners winter can be a season of discontent. Often we are stuck inside because the weather is too cold or too wet or&nbsp;both. Gardeners want to be outside digging in the dirt on a mild March day.&nbsp;Gardening, for most, is a wishful dream, at least for the next six weeks or so. Still, there are gardening activities that can keep up your spirits. Here are few suggestion to chase away the winter blahs.<br /><br />Winter is a wonderful time to make some visits. Start by visiting your own garden (on a relatively nice day), pen and paper in hand. Winter is a good time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your landscape. Write down practical goals to achieve once the weather warms. Is there an area that needs a better landscape plan? What type of makeover, new shrubs or perennials (what size, what bloom time, what color). If your are really ambitious, take a piece of graph paper and make a scale drawing of your house and landscape &nbsp;(include doors, windows, pavements decks,&nbsp;driveways, flowerbeds, compass directions and trees).&nbsp;Even a rough&nbsp;landscape drawing&nbsp;is&nbsp; great to have when&nbsp;visiting&nbsp;your local gardening center and looking for advice on plants to incorporate into your landscape or&nbsp;for suggestions on how to deal with a problem area.<br /><br />Your favorite local independent nursery is another visit worth making. They are&nbsp;open and they&nbsp;have more time to discuss your landscape needs now. Come March and April, the crush of business&nbsp;makes it hard for them to spend any quality time&nbsp;with&nbsp;you. Also, they&nbsp;know what plants will be available. It can be frustrating to decide you've discovered&nbsp;a&nbsp;great plant in a garden book or magazine only to learn that no&nbsp;one locally carries it. <br /><br />Next, visit your local botanical garden.&nbsp;(In Memphis&nbsp;visit the Dixon and the Memphis Botanical Garden.) Bring along pen and paper and note what's&nbsp;interesting in their winter landscape. Adding interest to winter&nbsp;can include trees with exfoliating bark&nbsp;(some crape myrtles, for example)&nbsp;or with colorful bark (such as Sango Kaku, Coral Bark Japanese&nbsp;Maple.)&nbsp;Consider form when looking at the winter garden; Harry&nbsp;Lauder's walking stick and weeping Japanese Maples can&nbsp;add interest&nbsp;even without foliage. The berries of deciduous Hollies are another useful&nbsp;addition to the winter landscape.<br /><br />Another visit worth making is to your local public library and, I&nbsp;recommend,<em> </em>checking out two books on gardening. If you're like me two books are better that five&nbsp;because&nbsp;with two books I will spend more time with each one rather that skimming and forgetting a few random ideas from five books. Visiting the library again and checking out another two is perfectly acceptable- they won't mind a bit.<br /><br />Annuals such as Pansies, Violas,&nbsp;Panolas (panolas are a hybrid mix&nbsp;of pansies and violas) and ornamental cabbages&nbsp;are another way to add winter interest.&nbsp;Take a trip&nbsp;around and look at the entrance to subdivisions&nbsp;that have an&nbsp;appealing mix of annuals. When you find&nbsp;one that you like, get out and take some pictures. Next fall,&nbsp;use your pictures as a guide to create a scaled down version for your landscape.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v00WfUGtkm4/WID5aZvfZLI/AAAAAAAAAAM/HcNEzlpGrso4DwkEfuMReKfqsPVXRd4OgCLcB/h120/percy-bysshe-shelley-21412400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="px-O-x" height="120" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v00WfUGtkm4/WID5aZvfZLI/AAAAAAAAAAM/HcNEzlpGrso4DwkEfuMReKfqsPVXRd4OgCLcB/h120/percy-bysshe-shelley-21412400.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 81px;" width="80" /></a><br />Finally, as Percy Byshhe Shelley wrote in Ode to the West Wind: <em>If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind"&nbsp;. </em>Spring is something all gardeners can't wait to arrive!<br /><br /><div align="center">&nbsp;</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Poem of the Month Suggestion</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wind and Window Flower </span></strong></span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">by Robert Frost</span></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>﻿</strong></span></div><br />David M Fuchshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07103377370091833510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-856311072448297244.post-25929293435203955182017-01-09T11:49:00.001-06:002017-01-09T13:21:34.706-06:00Mister Owita's Azalea Therapy<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlWD_TlZp9Q/WHPCuETSruI/AAAAAAAAAKE/fhMpCSN3rEsXP-PgXYfOu3g46q7t5yCigCLcB/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JlWD_TlZp9Q/WHPCuETSruI/AAAAAAAAAKE/fhMpCSN3rEsXP-PgXYfOu3g46q7t5yCigCLcB/s200/images.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">From time to time in my life, I have had friends who really disliked azaleas.&nbsp; You would think to hear them talk that azaleas are urban blight.&nbsp; &nbsp;I had not thought much about this dislike of azaleas until I read Carol Wall’s 2014 memoir <i>Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening; How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart</i>.&nbsp;&nbsp; Carol hired Giles Owita, a Kenyan native, to resurrect her neglected yard, the worst kept yard in her Roanoke neighborhood.&nbsp; She detested azaleas, so her first direction to her new gardener was “Please remove azaleas.”&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">In midwinter in Shelby County, it is hard to be enthusiastic about azaleas. Thin, curling leaves are blackish green, brown or rusty orange, and the largest azalea specimen in my front yard is full of holes from dieback brought on by neglect, drought, age, or a combination. &nbsp;I have certainly thought, “Please remove this azalea!”&nbsp; Yet in late winter, when Mister Owita turned his attention to the stragglers in Carol’s yard, he saw something else: “Those azaleas at your compound will be beautiful,” he promised her. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">This promise of beautiful pink blossoms did not soften her dislike </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BHy2l9P0QNg/WHPC7LOt9nI/AAAAAAAAAKI/p79FNHJT2c0NcNqiHlMwbNlhCK8NwTJTwCLcB/s1600/DSCN1063%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BHy2l9P0QNg/WHPC7LOt9nI/AAAAAAAAAKI/p79FNHJT2c0NcNqiHlMwbNlhCK8NwTJTwCLcB/s320/DSCN1063%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">for a plant cursed with a brief blossoming time and an eternity of browning blossoms, petals falling away in advance of winter, and the ugly debris of decay.&nbsp;&nbsp; Indeed, unlike most gardeners I know, Carol Wall did not like blooming things at all, since they reminded her of her sister’s coffin and generally reflected her unhappiness at the brevity of beauty and the fragility of life. &nbsp;She was fearful&nbsp; of a recurrence&nbsp; of cancer and also anxious about the failing health of her parents. &nbsp;What Mister Owita was up against in this particular gardening project was less a neglected yard than a troubled heart.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Carol was outraged when she discovered him at work pruning rather than removing the hated azaleas.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">He lovingly tended to the first azalea with fingers that carefully plucked away the crisp, dead leaves and dried debris that had fallen from the overhanging trees.&nbsp; His feet were planted firmly on the sloping, moss-covered ground, and his eyes were warm with concern as he inspected the healthy green parts now becoming visible on the azaleas.&nbsp; (52)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">He applied his “chemicals,” fertilizer and an antifungal.&nbsp; And rather than respond to her anger, he tended the azaleas and asked about her ailing parents.&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u7K5gSjCDDk/WHPDMp_qo9I/AAAAAAAAAKM/BL-__B0r0GI2MfBi21LJa0z-a7AOdL_CwCLcB/s1600/9512G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u7K5gSjCDDk/WHPDMp_qo9I/AAAAAAAAAKM/BL-__B0r0GI2MfBi21LJa0z-a7AOdL_CwCLcB/s200/9512G.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">For Mister Owita, “Every yard must have its flowers.” &nbsp;Carol hired him to fix her yard, but like all mentors, he saw his job as broader.&nbsp; He had to help Carol appreciate them.&nbsp; After the azaleas bloomed that spring, Carol reluctantly allowed them perhaps “one more year.” &nbsp;Meanwhile, Mister Owita pruned the shapeless river birch to let in light and air for new beds.&nbsp; He gave her green gardening gloves to use in preparing a bed for colorful annuals, but at her despair over such a riotous blend of colors, he promised shrubs instead. &nbsp;They scraped, dug, and mixed soil.&nbsp; They shared stories about her fears and anxieties and his worry over a daughter unable to emigrate.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nbeVDxqxBso/WHPD5VEAFAI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/Lz2fIuWhRUYrf-dF_C1x9qVC-FQqRiUmwCLcB/s1600/prod000118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nbeVDxqxBso/WHPD5VEAFAI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/Lz2fIuWhRUYrf-dF_C1x9qVC-FQqRiUmwCLcB/s200/prod000118.jpg" width="169" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">By the next March, as a late snow melted, Mister Owita’s plan for a cure of Carol’s malaise took a dramatic step forward.&nbsp; Pure white daffodils pushed up between the boxwoods.&nbsp; Tiny, white crocuses bloomed in profusion in beds.&nbsp; White flowers “spilled all along the fence line” (114).&nbsp; White snowdrops and a stand of white alyssum appeared, and soon there were white tulips and blossoms of sweet woodruff. &nbsp;Her yard had become a sea of white flowers, just what her broken heart needed.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INT_vu0smYE/WHPGU6P78rI/AAAAAAAAAKo/h1WLPmKwD8Ub7ty21MSnilWQKvs4snDXQCLcB/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INT_vu0smYE/WHPGU6P78rI/AAAAAAAAAKo/h1WLPmKwD8Ub7ty21MSnilWQKvs4snDXQCLcB/s1600/download.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The challenges of life were not over for C</span><span style="font-size: large;">arol or her mentor, but finally she could allow him to introduce color into her life--red primroses, lemon-yellow lilies, purple-bearded irises. &nbsp;Mister Owita turned out to be a miracle worker not only in tranforming Carol's yard, but also in helping her apply the patience, hope, and knowledge of gardening to her life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wwFVpeiPqz8/WHPENc6i55I/AAAAAAAAAKY/wO7mV0cHqZ8DxE50e-ZQC0wS8Qx-QTGhwCLcB/s1600/DSCN1015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wwFVpeiPqz8/WHPENc6i55I/AAAAAAAAAKY/wO7mV0cHqZ8DxE50e-ZQC0wS8Qx-QTGhwCLcB/s320/DSCN1015.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Serious gardeners are not strangers to the therapies of our avocation.&nbsp; Digging weeds and hauling manure are good strategies for allaying anxiety or anger.&nbsp; Nor are we unaware of the benefits of the mentor who can minister to more than the neglected garden. &nbsp;Carol Wall’s memoir is not always joyful, but like my garden catalogs and garden diary, it has helped me remember the beauty of azaleas even in the bleak midwinter.</span><o:p></o:p></div>Kathy Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141904624172495804noreply@blogger.com0